The UAE has begun work on a lunar-orbiting station being developed by Nasa, which is set to pave the way for Emirati astronauts to take part in future Moon missions.
The Emirates is to contribute an airlock to the planned Lunar Gateway station as part of a major international collaboration aimed at advancing space exploration.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre this week started to develop the crucial component of the project, said its director general, Salem Al Marri.
He said UAE space officials have held key talks with project chiefs at Nasa's Johnson Space Centre in Houston.
The airlock under development is an airtight room used to exit and enter the space station, which is due to be built by 2028.
"This week, we started the work on the Lunar Gateway Space Station after our leadership announced the UAE's participation in the project," said Mr Al Marri on X, formerly Twitter.
"We had several meetings with the Gateway team at Nasa's Johnson Space Center to co-ordinate the efforts, and our team at MBRSC is starting to work on the Emirates Airlock, which will used in the first lunar station in history.
"We are still in the beginning of the journey, but with the dedication of the MBRSC team and our collaboration with Nasa, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, I’m sure we will achieve our ambitious goals."
Mr Al Marri shared pictures on social media of a prototype of a part of the Lunar Gateway being inspected by the UAE's astronaut fleet of Sultan Al Neyadi, Hazza Al Mansouri, Mohammed Al Mulla and Nora Al Matrooshi.
"In these photos, you can see the mock-up of Lunar Gateway's Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), the first constructed part of the Gateway," said Mr Al Marri.
The UAE signed a deal with the US to support the major space initiative this month.
The agreement includes access to the station for UAE astronauts, boosting efforts to send the first Emirati to the Moon's orbit.
Once completed, the airlock will be launched on Nasa's Space Launch System rocket.
What is the Lunar Gateway?
Nasa is developing the station on Earth, before beginning assembly in the Moon's orbit this decade.
It is a crucial part of the US space agency's Artemis programme, which aims to build a sustainable presence of humans on the Moon.
Astronauts will use the Lunar Gateway for Artemis missions, before descending onto the Moon's surface using landing modules that SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing.
The UAE-US agreement currently involves only access to the station and a separate agreement would need to be signed for missions on the lunar surface.
MBRSC is to work with international companies to develop the airlock. The price of constructing it was not revealed, although it could cost as much as $100 million (Dh367.2 million), it has been estimated.
UAE joins Lunar Gateway project - in pictures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Results
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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