A UAE-built space probe has just crossed the Atlantic. Built, assembled and tested entirely in the Emirates, the probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) left Abu Dhabi on 02NOV26, with Etihad Cargo, flew to Chicago and reached Colorado on 05NOV26. Eight months of careful planning went into this specialized shipment, and engineers, researchers, flight specialists and the mission team from across Etihad, the UAE Space Agency and TII were all present in Abu Dhabi as the probe was prepared for departure. It will now join the MBR Explorer spacecraft for final integration ahead of a 2028 launch from Japan. The Technology Innovation Institute led the probe’s development, with partners including Khalifa University and UAE University, while the UAE Space Agency funds and oversees the mission.
The journey ahead is even bigger: roughly five billion kilometers, with flybys of seven asteroids. At the final target, 269 Justitia, the probe will detach and approach the asteroid surface on its own, capturing detailed images for scientists to study.
Eng Mohsen Al Awadhi, Mission Director of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, said: “The probe’s transfer from Abu Dhabi to the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado marks an important transition for EMA, from development, assembly and testing in the UAE to final integration with the MBR Explorer spacecraft and the verification of their systems’ integration before launch. […] The coordination with Etihad Cargo to transport the probe forms part of these efforts as we prepare for the mission’s next stages, ahead of its planned launch in the first quarter of 2028.”
Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer at Etihad Airways, added: “The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt reflects the UAE’s ambition to push the boundaries of science, technology and innovation. Delivering the probe to the United States is another example of how Etihad Cargo enables the safe and reliable transport of highly specialized cargo around the world. As the UAE’s national carrier, we are proud to have played our part in connecting this pioneering mission with its next stage and supporting an initiative that showcases the UAE’s growing leadership in advanced technology and space exploration.”
Dr. Anton Ivanov, Principal Investigator and Executive Director, Propulsion and Space Research Center, TII, commented: “Taking this probe from design through building, assembling and testing in the UAE is a proud significant achievement for our team. In Colorado, the focus now shifts to integrating it with MBR Explorer and verifying that their hardware, software and communications systems work together as intended.”
