Rashid Rover Moon landing date set

The date for the lunar landing of the HAKUTO-R lander, which is carrying the UAE's Rashid Rover, has been set for April 25 at 8:40 pm UAE time.

The Mission 1 lander is currently circling the Moon in an elliptical orbit at altitudes of between 100 km and 2,300 km.

It is scheduled to begin the landing sequence from the 100 km altitude orbit.

During the sequence, it will perform a braking burn, firing its main propulsion system to decelerate from orbit. Utilising a series of pre-set commands, the lander will adjust its altitude and reduce velocity in order to make a soft landing on the lunar surface. The process will take approximately one hour. 

Should conditions change, there are three alternative landing sites and depending on the site, the landing date may change. Alternative landing dates, depending on the operational status, are April 26, May 1 and May 3.

"To all of our supporters and everyone who has been looking forward to the day when we will land on the Moon, I am pleased to announce the scheduled landing date for Mission 1," said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder and CEO of ispace.

"What we have accomplished so far is already a great achievement, and we are already applying lessons learned from this flight to our future missions. I would like to once again express my heartfelt thanks to those who have worked so hard on this mission, including the engineers who are carrying out the long-term operations since our launch back in December. The stage is set. I am looking forward to witnessing this historic day, marking the beginning of a new era of commercial lunar missions."

A live-streaming broadcast from Tokyo is being planned for the landing day.

More details will be announced once they become available.

The landing date of the HAKUTO-R lander, carrying aboard the Rashid Rover, on the surface of the Moon, is set for 25 April at 8:40 PM (UAE time). The date is subject to change depending on the mission’s operations. Alternative landing dates are 26 April, May 1, and 3 May. pic.twitter.com/02gQ0JaLgh

— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) April 12, 2023