The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre has received the first signal from the Rashid rover. Sarwat Nasir / The National
The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre has received the first signal from the Rashid rover. Sarwat Nasir / The National
The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre has received the first signal from the Rashid rover. Sarwat Nasir / The National
The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre has received the first signal from the Rashid rover. Sarwat Nasir / The National

Rashid rover sends first signal to UAE space centre, Sheikh Mohammed says


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The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre has received the first signal from the Rashid rover, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said on Wednesday.

The rover was launched into space on Sunday from the site at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

"From a distance of 440,000km from the surface of the Earth, the explorer Rashid just sent the first message to the space centre in Al Khawaneej," Sheikh Mohammed wrote on Twitter.

"All the devices and systems of the explorer are working properly, and it will begin to enter the orbit of the Moon in preparation for landing during the coming months."

The small rover is on its way to the Moon aboard the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander, built by Japanese lunar exploration company ispace, on a journey expected to last five months.

Ispace’s lander separated from the rocket about 35 minutes after lift-off and then began its solo journey to the Moon.

SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 booster landed safely back on the company’s drone ship only eight minutes after delivering the lander to space.

The goal is to land the rover in the Atlas crater in the Mare Frigoris site, located in the far-north of the Moon’s near side.

If it manages to soft land on the lunar surface, the lander will set Rashid down on a ramp. They will then communicate by wireless, in the same way mission control monitors the spacecraft and its payload on its journey to the Moon and on the surface.

The rover will study the properties of lunar soil, the petrography and geology of the Moon, dust movement, and study surface plasma conditions and the Moon's photoelectron sheath.

Lunar dust, or regolith, is one of the main challenges astronauts face on the Moon.

The mission will last one lunar day, or 14 Earth days.

The team also hopes the rover can survive the lunar night, also 14 days, when temperatures plunge to -183°C.

SpaceX launches UAE's Rashid lunar rover to space - in pictures

  • The live-streamed launch of the UAE’s Rashid rover in December 2022.
    The live-streamed launch of the UAE’s Rashid rover in December 2022.
  • The Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander carrying the rover is expected to land on the Moon at the end of April.
    The Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander carrying the rover is expected to land on the Moon at the end of April.
  • The lander is expected to attempt a lunar orbit insertion towards the end of March.
    The lander is expected to attempt a lunar orbit insertion towards the end of March.
  • The spacecraft has travelled about 1.37 million km since being launched.
    The spacecraft has travelled about 1.37 million km since being launched.
  • The lander is the first privately funded spacecraft to travel that far. Photo: ispace
    The lander is the first privately funded spacecraft to travel that far. Photo: ispace
  • The Rashid rover is the first mission under the UAE's long-term Moon exploration programme.
    The Rashid rover is the first mission under the UAE's long-term Moon exploration programme.
  • Landing on the Moon is challenging, with more than a third of lunar landing missions failing.
    Landing on the Moon is challenging, with more than a third of lunar landing missions failing.
  • The Moon has no atmosphere, forcing landers to perform complex manoeuvres to achieve a soft landing.
    The Moon has no atmosphere, forcing landers to perform complex manoeuvres to achieve a soft landing.
  • Only the US, former Soviet Union and China have achieved a soft landing on the Moon.
    Only the US, former Soviet Union and China have achieved a soft landing on the Moon.
  • The 10-kilogram exploration rover will study the geography of the lunar surface.
    The 10-kilogram exploration rover will study the geography of the lunar surface.
  • The team also hope the rover can survive a lunar night, when temperatures plunge to minus 183°C.
    The team also hope the rover can survive a lunar night, when temperatures plunge to minus 183°C.
  • The Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander is taking a longer route to save on fuel and reduce costs.
    The Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander is taking a longer route to save on fuel and reduce costs.
  • The lander in space after detaching from SpaceX's rocket. Photo: SpaceX
    The lander in space after detaching from SpaceX's rocket. Photo: SpaceX
  • A SpaceX engine takes the lander to a lunar transfer orbit after launch. Photo: SpaceX
    A SpaceX engine takes the lander to a lunar transfer orbit after launch. Photo: SpaceX
  • Reem AlMehisni, rover thermal engineering chief at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Reem AlMehisni, rover thermal engineering chief at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Officials prepare for the launch at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Officials prepare for the launch at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The control room of the space centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The control room of the space centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Flight control teams in the Mission Control Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Flight control teams in the Mission Control Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The final prototype of the Rashid rover. Photo: MBRSC
    The final prototype of the Rashid rover. Photo: MBRSC
  • Mission Control Centre staff at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Mission Control Centre staff at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The Mission Control Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The Mission Control Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The exterior of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The exterior of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Emirati engineers behind the UAE's lunar mission pose for picture with the Rashid rover. Photo: MBRSC
    Emirati engineers behind the UAE's lunar mission pose for picture with the Rashid rover. Photo: MBRSC
  • The interior of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The interior of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

Results:

CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off

1.           Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds

2.           Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09

3.           Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42

4.           Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63

5.           Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74

The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

How Filipinos in the UAE invest

A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.

Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).

Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.

How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

Major matches on Manic Monday

Andy Murray (GBR) v Benoit Paire (FRA)

Grigor Dimitrov (BGR) v Roger Federer (SUI)

Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Gilles Muller (LUX)

Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Novak Djokovic (SRB)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: December 14, 2022, 4:39 PM