The UAE’s moon mission involves a startup with a Chennai connection.
What’s it about? The UAE’s first moon mission launched on December 11 with its Rashid Rover spacecraft. It’ll traverse the surface of the moon. The rover has an Indian connection with Chennai-based startup ST Advanced Composites, who began work on the spacecraft in December 2020.
- About 90% of the rover was made in Chennai. This included its wheels, solar panels, camera holder, and structure. Combined, about 40 components were made by the company.
- The project was finished in June this year. Tests of the model were done in other countries, including France and the US.
Future plans: While this isn’t the company’s first time in space, it is its first moon mission. It has partnered with ISRO and private companies in India. They’re working on the Chandrayaan-2, Mangalyaan, and other projects, including with a private satellite manufacturer.
(Image credits: India in UAE’s Twitter Post)