The UAE is testing its Moon rover Rashid in the remote desert areas of Dubai, to check if it operates as planned, before its eagerly awaited launch later this year.
A video released by the Dubai Media Office shows the tiny 10-kilogram robotic rover tilting as it negotiates the sand dunes.
Recent field tests included monitoring the rover's mobility and communication systems.
The four-wheeled rover can climb over obstacles up to 10 centimetres tall and descend a 20-degree slope, at speeds of 10cm per second.
“The Rashid Rover was tested in the desert by the Emirates Lunar Mission team in preparation for the first Arab mission to the Moon's surface,” the Dubai Media Office tweeted on Wednesday.
“The rover will study the lunar soil in an unexplored area during its mission.”
Japanese lander Hakuto-R, built by private company iSpace, is going to carry the Rashid rover to the lunar surface.
The mission will lift-off into space on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, during a launch window that starts in October.
Rashid will explore the near side of the Moon, which offers a smoother surface with fewer craters, but the terrain is still unpredictable.
It will land on a site known as the Lacus Somniorum, a Latin phrase that translates to ‘Lake of Dreams’.
It is the primary landing site, with three other spots selected as alternatives as a precautionary measure.
Some basins on the near side of the Moon are so steep that, were the rover to fall into one, it would be impossible for it to climb out.
Lacus Somniorum will be interesting to study because the surface has a unique composition. It was formed by flows of basaltic lava, giving it a reddish hue.
Some of the scientific goals behind the mission include studying lunar soil, the geology of the Moon, dust movement and investigating the Moon's photoelectron sheath for one lunar day — about two weeks on Earth.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Company%20Profile
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
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The%20specs
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
