Etihad Cargo Transports UAE Asteroid Probe to the United States

Etihad Cargo supported the shipment of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) probe from Abu Dhabi to the United States. The UAE-developed probe is set for integration with the MBR Explorer spacecraft in Colorado.

Key details

• The probe left Abu Dhabi for Chicago on November 2, 2026, and arrived in Colorado on November 5.
• Integration and system verification are planned at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado.
• The UAE Space Agency leads and funds EMA. The Technology Innovation Institute’s Propulsion and Space Research Center led probe development, with HEX20, Khalifa University, and the National Space Science and Technology Center at United Arab Emirates University among the named partners.
• EMA is planned to launch from Japan in the first quarter of 2028 and travel about 5 billion kilometers, visiting seven asteroids before reaching 269 Justitia.

EMA is planned to travel about 5 billion kilometers and visit seven asteroids.

Why it matters

At 269 Justitia, the probe is planned to separate from MBR Explorer and operate autonomously near the asteroid’s surface, capturing images for scientific study. The mission brings together UAE organizations and international partners for spacecraft development and delivery.