A proposed lunar partnership could bring European and Emirati space programs together, as European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher prepares for UAE talks next week, The National reported Oct. 30.
Aschbacher described closer ties with the UAE as a “strategic priority” for ESA, citing the country’s growing national space program and private space industry. He told The National, “The UAE is a very strong emerging space nation.”
The National said Aschbacher hopes to discuss a concept called LUNA Bridge. The proposal would use an ESA next-generation lander to deliver a UAE rover to the Moon, with Japan’s ispace potentially involved. The newspaper described the rover’s role as testing technology and collecting scientific data, but did not name the rover or report a signed agreement among the partners.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) says it designed and built Rashid 2, whose planned research includes lunar geology, thermal properties, dust and how materials respond on the Moon’s surface. The National did not identify Rashid 2 as the rover for LUNA Bridge. Firefly Aerospace lists Rashid 2 as a payload on Blue Ghost Mission 2, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2027.
ESA’s separate lunar plans include cargo deliveries through its Argonaut program, which the agency aims to begin in 2030. Each lander is designed to carry up to 1,500 kilograms. A five-satellite network under the Moonlight program is being developed to provide communications and navigation around the Moon.
ESA has also contributed to an earlier UAE lunar mission. It provided material samples for an experiment fitted to the wheels of MBRSC’s first Rashid rover, launched Dec. 11, 2022. Its lander failed to make a soft landing on April 26, 2023. Operator ispace later said software had calculated the lander’s altitude incorrectly during its final approach.
