Dubai: The UAE's lunar mission Rashid rover has started to journey, bearing the hopes of the Arab world. The first phase of the probe has turned out successful.
Also, the Hakuto-R Mission-1, the Japanese lander on which Rashid was mounted, became the first-ever commercial moon lander, Reuters reported.
The Arab world's first lunar mission Rashid was launched at 11.38 am on Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.
The rover, built by engineers at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, is expected to reach the Moon by April 23.
Rashid's leap, writing history, is after the successful Mars mission.
To witness the live feed of the craft's launch, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and administrator of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was there at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center. He was accompanied by the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.
Rashid was supposed to be launched last month but was postponed several times due to weather problems.
Rashidi is mounted on the Japanese lander 'Hakuto-R Mission-1' built by iSpace, and is being carried by SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket.
'Rashidi' is carried by SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket. The Falcon-9 booster separated from the lander and returned safely eight minutes after liftoff. It can be reused.
Rashid will travel 3,85,000 km in five months. The rover aims to explore the northeastern part of the Moon.
It will study lunar soil, geography, dust, photoelectron shielding and lunar day.
The craft is named after the former ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. If the mission succeeds, the UAE will become the fourth country after the US, Soviet Union and China to successfully land a probe on the Moon and complete the mission.
In India, ISRO's Chandrayaan launch was successful, but the rover's exploration of the lunar surface did not happen after the probe's Vikram Lander was forced to crashland on the Moon.