👩🚀🌕 United Arab Emirates Going Stroll Lolo Lolo to Da Kine Asteroid Belt
Bumbai dey lass on, brah, aftah one mean mission to Mars, da Emirati space agency, dey get big plans. Dey goin’ check out da rubbish pile between Mars and Jupiter, and dey goin’ make eyeball with one of da most nani objects dey get.
From da unreal success of da Hope spacecraft, still spinning and studying Mars, UAE wen make one announcement on Monday. Dey got plans for one more big kahuna mission: a grand tour of da asteroid belt. 🚀🌌
Sarah al-Amiri, da big boss lady of da UAE Space Agency, she say da asteroid belt mission, dat one was just da right kind kine challenge. Dey like da interesting science, good for da science community, and get plenny chance for collaboration. 👩🚀🔬
Da spacecraft, dey name ’em MBR Explorer aftah Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, da big kahuna of Dubai and prime minister of UAE. Dey planning for takeoff in 2028. By February 2030, da spacecraft gonna reach Westerwald, one small kine asteroid, only 1.4 miles wide. Gonna zip past ’em at 20,000 miles per hour, den go visit six more objects in da asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 🚀🌑
Da seventh asteroid, Justitia, dat one real interesting. About 30 miles wide, Justitia get one red color, not da usual color for asteroid. Mo’ look like one small icy world from da Kuiper belt, going around da sun past Neptune. 🌕🌈
Dey thinking, maybe Justitia was born out in da far side of da solar system, den was sent inside by da big planets changing their paths, and end up in da asteroid belt. If true, going see Justitia would be like studying one Kuiper belt object, but no need go all da way out there.
MBR Explorer planning to go real close to Justitia in October 2034, and stay dey at least seven months. Dey gonna use cameras and spectrometers for figure out what da asteroid made of, even if get water. 📸💦 Da red color might mean get carbon-based molecules, da building blocks for life. Da spacecraft also going drop off one small lander to land on Justitia’s surface.
MBR Explorer going be more big den da Emirates’ Hope spacecraft, what wen go Mars. When it fly by da first six asteroids, gonna be going real fast, gotta have real good navigation for make sure da instruments pointed right at da asteroid.
Da spacecraft gotta take off within three weeks in March 2028, if going make all da planned flybys. If no can, gotta plan all over again, maybe even pick new asteroids for go see.
UAE, one rich country, small kine smaller den da state of Maine, is still new to space travel. Two decades ago, no even had one space program. Now, dey super active, looking to start high-tech industry for when da oil no more flow like before. Dey even sent astronauts to da International Space Station, one of dem, Sultan al-Neyadi, still up there.
In 2009, da UAE’s first satellite, DubaiSat-1, reach orbit. Was made in South Korea, but Emirati engineers was like apprentices at da satellite maker. Nine years later, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai build KhalifaSat, one satellite for watching Earth, no need any outside help.
For da Mars mission, da first time UAE wen go far out into da solar system, dey get help from da Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Da Hope launched in July 2020 and reach Mars orbit seven months later. Still studying how weather events, like dust storms, affect how Mars’ thin atmosphere escaping into space. Recently, even took high-resolution pictures of Deimos, da smaller of Mars’ two moons.
Da UAE space officials wen talk story about where for go next. “We actually looked at da whole solar system in terms of what happens next aftah da Emirates Mars mission,” Ms. al-Amiri said.
Some of da Emiratis who wen start as newbies building da Hope spacecraft, now dey one of da leaders for da asteroid mission. Dat includes Mr. al-Awadhi, used to be one maintenance engineer for da Emirates airline, was da lead systems engineer on da Mars mission.
Mr. Withnell said da new spacecraft might be put together in Colorado again, and other groups also involved. Da Italian Space Agency going provide one of da spectrometer instruments, and Malin Space Science Systems of San Diego building da two cameras.
But this time, mo’ stuff gonna be made in da Emirates. Fifty percent of da money spent on da mission gotta be spent within da country.
So, da kine variety asteroids dat MBR Explorer goin’ visit gonna make good scientific comparisons for similar asteroids dat gonna be visited on other missions, like Lucy, one NASA mission dat launched in 2021.
Maybe da planetary scientists can figure out if Justitia really is one stranger from da far side of da solar system. But other bodies thought to be from da Kuiper belt and got pushed inside more greyish-reddish. Da idea is da sun is burning off some of da red stuff as you get closer.
So Justitia, as red as one distant Kuiper belt object, seems too red for where it stay.
“It supplies us with a mystery,” Dr. Levison said. And us local kine, we love one good mystery, yeah? 🕵️♂️🚀🌌
NOW IN ENGLISH
👩🚀🌕 United Arab Emirates To Venture Beyond Mars To The Asteroid Belt
After their impressive mission to Mars, the Emirati space agency has ambitious plans. They’re looking to explore the debris field between Mars and Jupiter, and they aim to observe one of the most intriguing objects they can find.
From the resounding success of the Hope spacecraft, which is still orbiting and studying Mars, the UAE made an announcement on Monday. They have plans for an even bigger mission: a grand tour of the asteroid belt. 🚀🌌
Sarah al-Amiri, the head of the UAE Space Agency, stated that the asteroid belt mission is exactly the type of challenge they were seeking. It presents engaging science, beneficial for the science community, and offers numerous opportunities for collaboration. 👩🚀🔬
The spacecraft, named ‘MBR Explorer’ after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of UAE, is planned to launch in 2028. By February 2030, the spacecraft will reach Westerwald, a small asteroid merely 1.4 miles wide. It will pass by it at 20,000 miles per hour, then proceed to visit six more objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 🚀🌑
The seventh asteroid, Justitia, is particularly fascinating. About 30 miles wide, Justitia has a red color, which is not typical for an asteroid. It more closely resembles a small icy world from the Kuiper belt, orbiting the sun beyond Neptune. 🌕🌈
The theory is that perhaps Justitia was formed on the distant edge of the solar system, then was drawn inward by the giant planets shifting their orbits, and wound up in the asteroid belt. If true, observing Justitia would be akin to studying a Kuiper belt object, but without having to travel that far.
The MBR Explorer plans to approach Justitia closely in October 2034, and remain there for at least seven months. They will use cameras and spectrometers to determine the asteroid’s composition, including whether it contains water. 📸💦 The red color might indicate the presence of carbon-based molecules, the building blocks for life. The spacecraft also plans to deploy a small lander to touch down on Justitia’s surface.
The MBR Explorer will be larger than the Emirates’ Hope spacecraft, which went to Mars. When it passes by the first six asteroids, it will be moving very fast, necessitating excellent navigation to ensure the instruments are accurately aimed at the asteroid.
The spacecraft must launch within three weeks in March 2028 to complete all the planned flybys. If not, the entire plan will need to be revisited, perhaps even selecting new asteroids to visit.
The UAE, a wealthy country smaller than the state of Maine, is relatively new to space travel. Two decades ago, they didn’t even have a space program. Now, they are incredibly active, looking to establish a high-tech industry for when their oil resources start to dwindle. They have even sent astronauts to the International Space Station, one of whom, Sultan al-Neyadi, remains there.
In 2009, the UAE’s first satellite, DubaiSat-1, reached orbit. It was constructed in South Korea, but Emirati engineers served as apprentices at the satellite manufacturer. Nine years later, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai constructed KhalifaSat, a satellite for observing Earth, completely without external assistance.
For the Mars mission, the UAE’s first foray deep into the solar system, they received assistance from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The Hope was launched in July 2020 and reached Mars orbit seven months later. It continues to study how weather events, like dust storms, affect Mars’ thin atmosphere escaping into space. Recently, it even captured high-resolution images of Deimos, the smaller of Mars’ two moons.
UAE space officials discussed their future aspirations. “We actually looked at the whole solar system in terms of what happens next after the Emirates Mars mission,” Ms. al-Amiri said.
Some of the Emiratis who began as novices building the Hope spacecraft are now leading the asteroid mission. That includes Mr. al-Awadhi, a former maintenance engineer for the Emirates airline, who served as the lead systems engineer on the Mars mission.
Mr. Withnell stated the new spacecraft might be assembled in Colorado again, with other groups also involved. The Italian Space Agency will provide one of the spectrometer instruments, and Malin Space Science Systems of San Diego is constructing the two cameras.
However, this time, more components will be made in the Emirates. Fifty percent of the mission’s funds must be spent within the country.
Therefore, the variety of asteroids that MBR Explorer will visit could yield interesting scientific comparisons with similar asteroids that will be visited on other missions, like Lucy, a NASA mission launched in 2021.
Perhaps planetary scientists can determine if Justitia truly is an interloper from the distant edge of the solar system. However, other bodies believed to be from the Kuiper belt and moved inward are more greyish-reddish. The theory is the sun burns off some of the red coloring as you get closer.
So Justitia, as red as a distant Kuiper belt object, appears too red for its location.
“It supplies us with a mystery,” Dr. Levison said. And who doesn’t love a good mystery? 🕵️♂️🚀🌌
