The UAE has signed a deal with the US to contribute an airlock to a lunar-orbiting station being developed by Nasa, an agreement that will also help Emirati astronauts feature in future Moon missions.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is to supply the airlock – an airtight room used to exit and enter a space station – to the planned Lunar Gateway station by the end of the decade.
The agreement includes access to the station for UAE astronauts, boosting efforts to send the first Emirati to the Moon's orbit.
Announcing the news on Sunday, President Sheikh Mohamed wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “I was pleased to attend with my brother Mohammed bin Rashid the launch of the UAE’s contributions to the historic Lunar Gateway, which will serve as humanity’s first space station around the Moon.
“Through our long-term investment in space exploration and scientific innovation, the UAE is determined to work alongside its international partners to enable collective progress for all.”
In December 2022, The National revealed that the Emirates was working towards getting involved in the Gateway programme by supplying an airlock.
Salem Al Marri, director general of space centre, told The National the deal was a “huge step” for the country's space programme.
“This is an agreement essentially between the US and the UAE, represented by Nasa and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, in which we will be building and procuring a science and crew airlock and potentially for spacecraft docking, for the Gateway programme,” he said.
“The UAE will become a partner of the Gateway programme alongside the other four entities that are contributing and in return, of course, we will then secure flights to the Gateway.”
Once completed, the airlock will be launched on Nasa's Space Launch System rocket.
MBRSC is to work with international companies to develop the airlock. The price of constructing it was not revealed, although it could cost as much as $100 million (Dh367.2 million), it has been estimated.
“This is something new that the UAE is embarking on,” said Mr Al Marri. "There's a lot of knowledge that we have but not necessarily knowledge to build something like an airlock.
“So, what we plan to do is work with the international companies – we haven't decided who yet – and work as we always do, which is try to get UAE industry involved.”
Mr Al Marri said the UAE would get “full access” to the station, including involvement in scientific activities that take place on board as well as operational elements.
“We will also get full access to training our astronauts and also there are elements where the UAE would take a very strong position as being one of the main players in building this station,” he said.
“It's a really exciting step for the UAE and to be able to guarantee a mission to the Gateway.”
