A Japanese spacecraft carrying the UAE's Rashid rover will attempt to land on the Moon's surface on April 25.
It is scheduled to touch down at 8.40pm, UAE time.
Ispace, the company that has built the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander, announced the target date on Wednesday, with backup dates of April 26, May 1 and May 3.
The lander has travelled millions of kilometres since launching on December 11, carrying the UAE's first lunar rover and technologies from other countries stored safely inside it.
The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on March 21 and has since been gradually getting closer to the surface.
"At approximately 15:40 on April 25, 2023, (UTC), the lander is scheduled to begin the landing sequence from the 100km altitude orbit," ispace said.
The landing sequence will take about an hour. If successful, it will make ispace the first company to succeed in a commercial cargo mission to the Moon.
It will also make the UAE the first Arab country to have a rover on another celestial body.
A difficult feat to achieve
But Moon landings are no easy task. Spacecraft touching down on Earth or Mars, for example, can use parachutes to slow themselves down and land safely.
But because the Moon has no atmosphere, complex manoeuvres are required to reduce the speed of the lander to touch down softly on the surface.
Only the US, the former Soviet Union and China have achieved soft landings on the Moon.
Landers operated by India and Israel have crashed on the surface.
Ispace said that during Hakuto-R M1's landing sequence, it will perform a braking burn and fire its main propulsion system to decelerate from orbit.
It will use a series of preset commands to adjust its attitude (positioning in space) and reduce velocity to achieve a soft landing on the surface.
Big win for commercial lunar missions
If ispace does manage to achieve the feat, it will be the first time a private company has delivered cargo for customers to the Moon's surface.
This means government-run space agencies can focus more on lunar science and companies can take over the difficult part of lunar missions — the landings.
It also means that emerging space nations such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which do not have lunar landing capabilities, will get more access to the Moon.
"I am looking forward to witnessing this historic day, marking the beginning of a new era of commercial lunar missions," said Takeshi Hakamada, founder of ispace.
Other companies are also looking to achieve private lunar missions, including US-based company Astrobotic, which plans to launch its Peregrine lander later this year with payloads from eight countries.
Intuitive Machines, another American company, hopes to land its Nova-C lander later this year, as well.
And Texas-based Firefly Aerospace's robotic Blue Ghost lander is also being developed for a touch down.
UAE's first mission to the Moon
Once the Hakuto-R lands on the surface, Emirati engineers will measure the Rashid rover's health.
The lander will then deploy the rover and commands will be sent to it to drive-off on to the lunar surface.
It will then spend 14 days exploring and capturing data, including thousands of images.
Emirati scientists will study the properties of lunar soil, the petrography and geology of the Moon, dust movement, surface plasma conditions and the Moon's photoelectron sheath.
The team also hopes the rover can survive the lunar night, also 14 days, when temperatures plunge to minus 183°C.
The rover will be placed in hibernation mode when night approaches.
"The chances of the rover restarting are slim; however, if the rover is activated after the lunar night then the mission will be extended to operate throughout the second lunar night which will end by the decommissioning phase," the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre said.
Emirati engineers are already working on Rashid 2, the second rover under the country's long-term Moon exploration programme.
It was due to be launched on a Chinese lander, but it is unclear whether that it going ahead.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
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Company%20Profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
