International collaboration
The rover will be deployed to the far side of the Moon aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander as part of Blue Ghost Mission 2 in 2026. This will be Firefly’s second lunar mission following Blue Ghost Mission 1 in March 2025, which achieved the first successful commercial Moon landing.
Alongside payloads from Australia, the European Space Agency (ESA), and NASA, the Rashid Rover 2 will join an international coalition of scientific instruments aimed at advancing our understanding of the Moon’s most mysterious region.
The mission builds on extensive preparations that saw the rover complete development following environmental and functional tests conducted in the UAE.
Earlier this year, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and President of MBRSC, witnessed the signing of a strategic agreement between MBRSC and Firefly Aerospace.
The rover had also undergone thermal vacuum testing at the French space agency CNES in Toulouse.
Precision and innovation
Dr Hamad AlMarzooqi, Project Manager, Emirates Lunar Mission, MBRSC said, “These latest tests mark an important milestone to ensure a seamless integration between the rover and the lander systems. Our joint efforts with Firefly Aerospace are guided by a shared focus on precision and innovation, ensuring the mission’s scientific and technical goals are achieved with the highest standards of reliability. Rashid Rover 2 embodies the dedication of our engineers and the UAE’s continued drive to contribute to global lunar exploration through purposeful, knowledge-led progress.”
The comprehensive testing phase in the UAE included solar panel performance tests, antenna and robotic arm deployment under simulated lunar gravity, and vibration testing at EARTH, a subsidiary of EDGE Group. The vibration tests simulated the mechanical stresses of launch, lunar landing, and touchdown to ensure the rover’s resilience throughout its journey.