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UAE powers space ambitions with lunar gateway deal and new satellite launches
The UAE strengthened its position as a global hub for advanced technology and space sciences in 2025, completing a series of strategic milestones designed to accelerate its transition toward an innovation-driven knowledge economy.
Over the year, the country expanded its orbital infrastructure, deepened international partnerships and advanced both lunar exploration and Earth-observation capabilities, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a key player in the global space sector.
The UAE’s orbital expansion was marked by the deployment of several major space assets, including Thuraya-4, MBZ-SAT, Al Ain Sat-1, HCT-SAT1 and the Foresight Constellation. The launch of Etihad-SAT established the nation’s first domestic radar satellite capability.
Another milestone came with the PHI-1 mission, which marked the first modular satellite platform developed under the Payload Hosting Initiative in partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
UAE boosts space sector
In February, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) partnered with Thales Alenia Space to develop the Lunar Gateway’s Crew and Science Airlock. The 15-year commitment secures a permanent UAE presence on the lunar station and paves the way for the first Emirati astronaut to reach the Moon.
MBRSC also signed an agreement with Firefly Aerospace to provide the lander for the Rashid 2 Rover’s mission to the lunar far side.
In parallel, MBRSC expanded cooperation with the French National Centre for Space Studies to supply Rashid 2 with CASPEX cameras and advanced systems. The rover has successfully passed environmental and mechanical testing within the UAE and has been cleared for shipment to the United States ahead of its scheduled 2026 launch.
In a separate breakthrough, Space42 managed the integration and testing of three Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites — Foresight-3, Foresight-4 and Foresight-5 — within the UAE for the first time. The satellites deliver 25-centimetre high-resolution data to support disaster response, climate monitoring and urban planning.
Regional collaboration also gathered pace with the December launch of the “813” Arab Satellite, a UAE-led initiative aimed at harnessing space-based data to support sustainable development across the Arab world.
Sustainable investment
Meanwhile, the UAE Space Agency completed the Critical Design Review for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt — a seven-year mission to explore the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
These initiatives, alongside the Hope Probe’s ongoing research into the Martian atmosphere, underline the UAE’s trajectory as a central force in global space exploration and advanced science.
