H.H. Sheikh Hamdan attends unveiling of UAE asteroid mission probe

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, has attended the unveiling of the probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt.

In a post on X, Sheikh Hamdan said the spacecraft was developed, assembled and tested in the UAE and reached flight readiness in less than two years.

More than 150 engineers and scientists are working on the mission, which is expected to travel around five billion kilometres and study seven asteroids.

Sheikh Hamdan said the UAE’s space sector is now valued at more than AED 44 billion.

He added that the country aims to double the returns of its space economy by 2031 and become one of the world’s top 10 space economies.

The mission is part of the UAE’s wider push to expand its capabilities in advanced space science, engineering and technology.

I attended the unveiling of the probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt. Developed, assembled and tested in the UAE, the probe has achieved flight readiness in less than two years.

Guided by our visionary leadership, the UAE continues to build its capabilities in one… pic.twitter.com/QiaVbTFNWS

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) October 4, 2026