More than 440,000km from earth, a signal was recently sent
from a precious cargo just a few days into its journey to the moon. The
communication
received by scientists at mission control at the
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai confirmed that everything was on track and that the systems of the small
four-wheeled rover were functioning properly. At some point in April, the
Japanese lander craft carrying
the UAE-built rover will land in the Atlas crater on the moon’s surface.
اضافة اعلان
When the rover, named Rashid, sent its first communication
after reaching lunar orbit onboard the Hakuto-R lander, it was a moment of
pride in the latest scientific achievement by the UAE’s space program. But it
was not just about a technological milestone. It was also an achievement for
domestic and foreign policy-making in an era of space exploration being driven
by smaller nations.
Historically, space exploration was dominated by the
US and the Soviet Union and became an extension of the cold war as the two
superpowers raced to outdo one another. As relations improved, cooperation on
the International Space
Station (ISS) project marked one of the strongest symbols of more
peaceful ties between the two sides. Even today, as relations between the US
and Russia have deteriorated again, the ISS remains one of the few remaining
areas of collaboration.
Now, cooperation in space is much broader and involves more
nations and private entities. Take the UAE’s lunar rover, for example. The
vehicle was designed and built in the Emirates and is carried by a lander built
by the Japanese company ispace. That, in turn, was launched by a SpaceX Falcon
9 rocket on
December 11 from Florida. The UAE’s
Hope mission,
which reached Mars a year ago, was similarly collaborative.
Though scientific collaboration between the UAE and the
classic space superpowers like Russia and China continues, the real
collaboration is happening between the UAE, South Korea, and Japan. A
collaboration based on their understanding that without real knowledge
transfer, this cannot be a long-term relationship. The same thing happened with
China during COVID-19. The partnership in developing testing capability and
testing and producing a vaccine was developed with China, not any of the
traditional allies like the US, UK, or Europe.
Scientific collaboration, including in space, reflects the
new role of middle powers as they align not just to collaborate on technology
but on global issues. Cooperation between countries like the UAE, South Korea,
Japan, and India paints a new picture of how middle powers are finding new
weight and assuming new responsibilities. This will not stay in space or even
just in science and technology but will spread through other areas of relations
and diplomacy. This cooperation could be the hallmark of a new world order that
is non-polar in nature and built around addressing national interests and
global challenges alike.
In a workshop in Abu Dhabi on the future of the blue
economy, the UAE’s recently appointed assistant minister of foreign affairs for
advanced science and technology, Omran Sharaf, pointed out that the UAE mission
to the moon was 10 times more complicated than the mission to Mars, but that
the planned mission to the asteroid belt will be another 10 times more
difficult than the Rashid rover mission.
Scientific collaboration, including in space, reflects the new role of middle powers as they align not just to collaborate on technology but on global issues.
As much as this is a testament to the fact that the UAE is
not looking for a trophy achievement, it is seeing space as an area for deep
and forward-looking collaboration with partners, including, but not only, the
traditional space heavyweights of the US and Russia. The appointment of an
assistant minister for advanced science and technology highlights the fact that
this is a major area of diplomatic cooperation, as the UAE sees it.
Navigating space has domestic and foreign policy
implications, be it the moon, Mars, or the asteroid belt. The UAE’s space
program feeds into other progressive technologies such as AI, robotics, and
biotechnology. It has become a cornerstone of the UAE’s economic
diversification strategy toward a knowledge economy. This required the UAE to
undergo a complete overhaul of its educational systems, develop new research
and development funds, and create new science-oriented governance structures,
including ministerial positions and government bodies.
The Rashid rover is maybe a pathfinder to the moon, but here
in the UAE, it has already found new pathways for cooperation that were not
previously conceived. Partnership based on knowledge transfer and common
research areas has brought together geographically diverse countries like the
UAE and Japan. It is bringing traditional foes like the UAE and Israel
together. The basis of such cooperation and new alliances is not ideology nor
geopolitical rivalry; it’s a shared understanding of the common threats facing
the whole of humanity.
Be it in space, or deep blue waters, the middle power
cooperation will be the basis of the new world order.
Mohammed Baharoon is the Director General of the Dubai Public
Policy Research Center (b’huth).
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