{
  "id": 11907270,
  "title": "UAE's MBR Explorer probe enters final tests for 2028 mission",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/uaes-mbr-explorer-probe-enters-final-tests-for-2028-mission-11907270",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-04T10:44:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/10/04/uaes-mbr-explorer-probe-enters-final-tests-for-2028-mission/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The UAE's MBR Explorer probe, built by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, has completed vibration testing and is now undergoing thermal tests as preparations intensify for its scheduled launch in March 2028. The mission aims to visit the 269 Justitia asteroid in 2036, using gravity assists from Venus, Earth and Mars to reach the main asteroid belt. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister, attended the press conference where the flight-identical probe model was showcased. Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology, emphasized that the mission would not only build local expertise but also advance scientific understanding. The probe will deploy a TII-built payload upon reaching Justitia and will operate autonomously, making key decisions on-board. Its impact on the asteroid is expected to take about two to three hours, with two cameras capturing images during the descent. The mission involves about 40 people over 18 months, with 20 UAE engineers gaining mission-level experience. The UAE Space Agency, TII, universities, and other partners are collaborating on the mission, aiming to unravel the mysteries of space and the origins of water-rich asteroids.",
  "summary": "A UAE-built probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt has completed vibration testing and is undergoing thermal tests as preparations intensify for the mission’s launch in March 2028. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed , Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence viewed a flight-identical model of the probe, developed by Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute, at…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "UAE's MBR Explorer probe enters final tests for 2028 mission",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/uaes-mbr-explorer-probe-enters-final-tests-for-2028-mission",
        "published": "2026-10-04T10:44:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}