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EMA: the UAE mission to explore the asteroid belt

This dossier follows the development, testing and scientific goals of EMA, separating announced stages from results actually obtained.

Last updated : 1 key moments
UAE flag, June 2017. Archive illustration; neither the spacecraft nor the lander is shown.
UAE flag, June 2017. Archive illustration; neither the spacecraft nor the lander is shown. — Ghania0007 / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — 17 juin 2017 ; taille réduite.

Where things stand

On 2 November 2026, the agency reported lander tests and preparation for integration. Launch remains targeted for Q1 2028; scientific results lie ahead.

Reported information

UAE asteroid mission advances towards lander integration

The UAE Space Agency reported on 2 November 2026 that the EMA mission’s lander had passed technical and environmental tests. Missions director Mohsen Al Awadhi, quoted by WAM, said launch remains targeted for the first quarter of 2028.

UAE flag, June 2017. Archive illustration; neither the spacecraft nor the lander is shown.
UAE flag, June 2017. Archive illustration; neither the spacecraft nor the lander is shown. — Ghania0007 / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — 17 juin 2017 ; taille réduite.

Built in the UAE, the lander is to be transferred to the University of Colorado Boulder’s LASP laboratory for integration with the MBR Explorer and further testing. Teams are working on subsystem assembly and integration; tests of the complete spacecraft and final readiness reviews remain ahead.

The mission is intended to study seven asteroids and deploy the lander near 269 Justitia to capture detailed images. Its scientific goals include the composition and history of water-rich asteroids. These mission stages and scientific findings remain future objectives; the reported tests do not mean that the mission has already launched.

Sources 2