Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the UAE has collaborated with the French space agency National Centre of Space Studies (CNES) to provide two optical cameras to the Rashid rover.
Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, Director-General, MBRSC, said, “The UAE aims to lead an innovative and sustainable exploration of the Moon through the Emirates Lunar Mission. Our partnership with CNES is a continuation of the already great collaborative effort with France, and we will continue to strengthen it further. We believe that collaboration is the way forward for space exploration and the more we work together to tackle challenges for the good of humanity, the greater our collective prospects for the future.”
The CASPEX camera on top of the rover’s mast will give the rover panoramic visibility of its surroundings. Using high spatial resolution, the rear-mounted CASPEX camera will deliver images of the lunar soil.
By utilising microlenses and a High Dynamic Range to enhance visibility irrespective of the lighting, the devices will ensure good picture quality. Furthermore, a colour filter array will be integrated into the mechanism to collect data efficiently.
Thousands of images and valuable scientific data will be generated by the lunar rover. The images will be analysed to investigate the complex wheel-soil interaction and determine wheel sinkage.
Philippe Baptiste, Chairman and CEO, CNES, commented, “I am glad to add today a new milestone and a new destination to the longstanding partnership between France and the UAE. With MBRSC, we have developed a fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation. It will allow us not only to take French technology to the Moon and bring back data for our scientists, but most and foremost to strengthen the relations between our respective technology and scientific ecosystems.”
The Emirates Lunar Mission is one of the initiatives under the Mars 2177 Programme that aims to create a human colony on Mars. The ICT Fund funds it under the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).
