Expo 2020 Dubai: Giant SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket replica to welcome visitors into US pavilion


Sarwat Nasir
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A 43 metre-tall SpaceX rocket model will wow visitors to the US pavilion at Expo 2020 next year.

Pieces of Moon rock and a Mars rover will also reinforce the space theme.

A US delegation on Wednesday received a first look at the Falcon 9 booster mock-up and the pavilion’s star-covered facade during a handover ceremony.

John Rakolta Jr, United States ambassador to the UAE, and US Department of State counsellor, Ulrich Brechbuhl, placed the final star on the structure as part of a celebration for meeting the pavilion’s handover deadline, ahead of the expo’s official opening on October 1, 2021.

The pavilion, spanning 3,344 square metres, will present the breadth of American achievements - from its space triumphs to historic artefacts such as the US founding father Thomas Jefferson’s Quran that dates back 200 years.

A replica of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Dubai Expo's US pavilion. Reem Mohammed / The National
A replica of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Dubai Expo's US pavilion. Reem Mohammed / The National

“Our ... pavilion here is going to be able to showcase our values and to help drive global change, prosperity and quality of life for all. [The] United States’ pavilion’s theme is life, liberty and the pursuit of the future,” said Mr Rakolta.

“We're going to showcase the brilliant architecture, including the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and we're going to be combining that with exhibits, artefacts, like pieces of rock from the moon and our Mars rover.”

Human spaceflight launches have returned to the US, thanks to Nasa’s partnerships with private companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

This week, a Falcon 9 rocket took an international crew of astronauts to space.

Other country pavilions are also going to highlight their achievements in space during the world fair.

The Italian pavilion will show a drill that will dig through the Martian soil. It will be launched on board the ExoMars rover in 2024.

Tech, culture, food and arts are also going to be a focus at the US pavilion.

The UAE contributed $60 million (Dh220m) to help complete the structure.

Mr Brechbuhl said “substantial construction” of the pavilion has now been completed.

“The World Expo is unlike any other event in the world. Millions will come to Dubai to experience in one place all that the world has to offer,” he said.

“It's an opportunity to connect people in the world with one another, create bonds between our nations that will serve as the foundation of friendship truly for generations to come. There is no better example of that than the UAE’s historic efforts to normalise relationships with Israel and sign the Abraham Accords.”

The Expo 2020 Dubai site - in pictures 

Company profile

Name: Steppi

Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic

Launched: February 2020

Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year

Employees: Five

Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai

Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

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Name: Rain Management

Year started: 2017

Based: Bahrain

Employees: 100-120

Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund

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Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
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In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.