Dr. Hamid Mjool Al Nuaimi *
The earth was formed about 4540 million years ago, and a billion years ago God Almighty created living beings on its surface, after which God Almighty created the moon; Early in Earth’s development, a large celestial body collided with it, which threw pieces of the young Earth, or pieces of rock, into space, and gravity bound many of these pieces together to form the Moon, which orbited the Earth.

The Moon has many advantages and functions to stabilize and protect the movement and balance of the Earth around the Sun, in the Solar System, in the Milky Way, and in the Universe. The Moon is the only celestial body belonging to the Earth, and it is. It is very important. Because it is so close and its size is sufficient that it gives life and helps its balance and movement.

ولأهمية القمر للأرض والبشرية، بالرغم من صغر حجمه، أقسم به الله سبحانه وتعالى: «كَلا وَالْقَمَرِ، وَاللَّيْلِ إِذْ أَدْبَرَ، وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا أَسْفَرَ، إِنَّهَا لإِحْدَى الْكُبَرِ، نَذِيرًا لِلْبَشَرِ، لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ»، المدثر 32-37. Because of the importance of the Moon and its proximity to the Earth, scientists and space agencies have explored certain aspects of space and the universe through the development of science and technology over the years. Techniques beyond human reach today in various fields have enabled us to observe celestial bodies at the edge of the human-visible universe, which is 13.87 billion light-years away. Thanks to technological advancements and astronomical and space observation methods that humans have invented and used, we can observe objects beyond these great distances. With all these technologies, humans have not discovered more than 5% of the real universe.

Later, from 1969 to 1972, man reached the surface of the moon four times, after which the plans to send astronauts to the moon were stopped, after its surface was found to be unfit for human life and for many reasons, man built settlements in space, starting with the nearest planets such as Mars, Venus, some of the moons of Jupiter, He is now trying to return to it, traveling from it to other planets, using his new technologies to turn it into a cosmic airport. And Saturn, and maybe some asteroids.

For more than 53 years, space organizations including the American space agency “NASA” and the European Space Agency, as well as countries such as Russia, China, India, Japan and the United Arab Emirates, have planned to explore the surface of the Moon. 2030 various scientific missions to explore and study different sites of its surface and its environment with high precision and collect detailed data; With the intention of using the lunar surface as a space launch pad for other planets.

In fact, Emirati explorer Rasheed, on Sunday, December 11, 2022, went into space with the lunar lander “Hakuto-R”, which will provide supply services to the explorer and equipment for the project and provide wireless communications and power. Moon approach phase, radio communication after landing.

Explorer Rashid underwent a few weeks of final environmental tests in Toulouse, France to test the vibration and thermal vacuum, after which Explorer was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Canadian Space Center (Cape Canada Space Base) in Florida. The rocket, after traveling another 1.5 million km, is expected to land on the moon by the end of next April. The explorer’s mission is 14 Earth days (ie, half a lunar day, since one lunar day is approximately 29.5 Earth days).

After landing on the lunar surface, Explorer Rashid will study new sites on the lunar surface for the first time and conduct experiments to study various aspects of its surface, including lunar soil, thermal properties, in addition to studying and analyzing dust. Surface structures, lunar photoelectric mantle, plasma measurements and electronics. Of course, the Emirati explorer will roam the surface of the moon, visit new locations, capture rare data and images, then send them to the ground control station at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, and test technical devices and equipment related to robotics, communications, mobility and navigation for the first time. , with the aim of determining how well it performs in the harsh lunar environment. According to the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, the rover has an excellent ability to withstand the effects of a harsh environment and withstand varying temperatures on the lunar surface. Therefore, the scientific work of the explorer (Francesco Morolico) included the study of the area, especially the “Atlas Crater” area, bearing in mind that the explorer would land in the so-called Atlas (Cold Sea). crossed by previous expeditions.

* Director of the University of Sharjah, Chairman of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences