UAE’s TII probe set to make historic asteroid landing

The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has developed a probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), set to embark on a historic journey to the outer reaches of our solar system. According to TII, the probe will travel to Colorado, United States, for final integration with the MBR Explorer spacecraft before its planned 2028 launch.

This mission aims to image two planets and seven asteroids, with the probe making history by landing on the seventh asteroid, 269 Justitia. TII's Chief Executive Officer, Najwa Aaraj, expressed pride in the mission's achievement, highlighting the UAE's exceptional talent and engineering capabilities. The probe, built and tested entirely in Abu Dhabi, will separate from the MBR Explorer spacecraft to rendezvous with 269 Justitia at the mission's furthest point.

Once on the asteroid's surface, the probe will operate autonomously, capturing close-range images and excavating the asteroid's composition to provide unprecedented insights into its physical characteristics. The MBR Explorer spacecraft, scheduled to launch from Japan in March 2028, will journey approximately five billion kilometres over eight years, using gravity-assist maneuvers at Venus, Earth, and Mars, and conducting close encounters with six asteroids before arriving at 269 Justitia.

After reaching its destination, the MBR spacecraft will spend seven months in orbit around Justitia before the probe deploys to descend and land on the asteroid's surface, transmitting images back to the spacecraft above for further scientific study.