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UAE Ships Rashid Rover 2 to U.S. for Firefly Integration Ahead of 2026 Far-Side Moon Attempt

MBRSC reports completion after a rigorous campaign of tests that verified the rover’s readiness.

The Emirates Lunar Mission is funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA)
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The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has completed development and testing of the Emirates Lunar Mission’s Rashid Rover 2. Photo: Government of Dubai Media Office

Overview

  • The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre says the rover has been dispatched to the United States to begin integration and launch preparations with Firefly Aerospace under a strategic agreement.
  • The test campaign included Thermal Vacuum trials hosted by France’s CNES in Toulouse plus solar array, antenna and robotic arm deployments and vibration testing conducted in the UAE.
  • Rashid Rover 2 is slated to fly on Firefly’s Blue Ghost 2 lander with a launch targeted for early 2026 and a roughly 10‑day surface mission on the Moon’s far side.
  • Mission goals include studying lunar soil, evaluating new materials for exploration, capturing high‑resolution imagery and analysing the surface environment.
  • This is the UAE’s second lunar rover attempt after Rashid 1 was lost in the 2023 Hakuto‑R Mission 1 crash, and the country aims to become only the second nation to land on the far side.