The United Arab Emirates will become part of a global project to create and launch the first space station around the Moon.
Engineers in the Middle East will build a 10-ton airlock for astronauts to enter and exit the Moon.
The Emirates module is expected to be launched in 2030, writes Khaleejtimes.
As part of the project, the UAE will also send the first Arab and Emirati astronaut to orbit the moon. According to an agreement signed between the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) and NASA, a UAE astronaut will “fly to the lunar space station as part of the upcoming Artemis mission.”
The Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said that the “trip to the moon” will take place no earlier than 2030.
MBRSC will be responsible for the design, development and operation of the Emirates Gateway. An important component, a 10×4 meter block, will serve as a point through which astronauts and supplies enter and exit the space station.
Gateway will become a home for astronauts to live and work. It will serve as a springboard for missions on the lunar surface and an opportunity to enter outer space.
