Sheikh Hamdan reveals logo for Emirates Lunar Mission

Logo has seven stars – one for each emirate – and the late Sheikh Rashid's signature

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, said the government has approved plans for a new remote working strategy. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Twitter

The logo for the Emirates Lunar Mission was revealed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Monday.

Featuring seven stars, representing each of the country's emirates, the circular logo contains a historic and sentimental touch.

The Arabic signature of Sheikh Rashid, the late ruler of Dubai and father of the present Ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, is inscribed over the moon.

The colour scheme of the logo looks like the Moon’s surface and the image highlights the fact that this is the first Arab mission to the lunar surface.

Sheikh Hamdan said it was important to include the signature of Sheikh Rashid as a symbol of the emirate's modernity and development.

"The late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum [was] the builder of modern Dubai and laid the foundations for its renaissance," Sheikh Hamdan said on Twitter.

"Like the huge projects that Dubai launched during his reign, including his signature marks the start of the process of development and prosperity."

The UAE plans by 2024 to send a rover to regions of the Moon unexplored by humankind.

As part of the Emirates Lunar Mission, the robotic explorer, named the Rashid Rover, will send back nearly 1,000 images and collect data on lunar soil and dust. It will be built in the UAE by Emirati engineers.

On Monday, Sheikh Hamdan said the ambitious project would make space history and the rover's discoveries would serve all humanity.

"It will provide us alternatives that guarantee the continuation of life in its best form and help find solutions to existing challenges," he said.

The Rashid Rover will have four cameras that move horizontally and vertically, 3D cameras and microscope and thermal imaging cameras.

Its sensors and systems will enable it to analyse characteristics of soil, dust, radioactivity, electrical charges and rocks on the Moon's surface.

Engineers plan to build a robust structure so the lander's devices and engines are protected.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre will be developing the lander. Its engineering model will be finalised by 2021, followed by manufacturing in 2022, the testing phase in 2023 and a launch planned for 2024.

The rover will also test new exploration techniques on the Moon, which will help assess the UAE’s capabilities before embarking on manned missions to Mars.

The Emirates Lunar Mission is part of the Mars 2117 Programme, which aims to build the first human settlement on Mars.