The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has developed a probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), a landmark mission that will travel to the asteroid belt and land on the seventh asteroid, 269 Justitia. The probe, designed, built, and tested in Abu Dhabi, will soon be sent to Colorado, USA, for final integration with the MBR Explorer spacecraft ahead of its planned 2028 launch.
The probe was built jointly by TII’s Propulsion and Space Research Center, the UAE Space Agency, HEX20, Khalifa University and the National Space Science and Technology Center.
Once released, it will touch down on 269 Justitia, capturing high-resolution surface images and digging into its material to reveal new details about its makeup and structure. Unlike other spacecraft, this probe will function entirely on its own in deep space, with no instructions coming from Earth or the MBR Explorer after deployment.
During the cruise, its wide-field and narrow-field cameras capture contextual and high-resolution images, sending compressed data back roughly every six months.
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Historic Mission
This mission marks a new achievement, as the probe will document two planets and seven asteroids, including six flybys in the main belt before finally landing on 269 Justitia. If the landing succeeds, Justitia will become only the seventh asteroid ever explored directly by a probe on its surface.
Scientists believe 269 Justitia originated in the distant Kuiper Belt before drifting into the main asteroid belt during the early stages of the Solar System’s formation. Its surface likely contains detailed organic compounds formed when ice was exposed to radiation, making it an exceptional target for scientific examination.
Justitia is among the reddest main-belt bodies, with a spectrum like Kuiper Belt objects, suggesting it formed beyond the methane-freeze line before migrating inward.
The MBR Explorer will cover roughly 5 billion kilometers over eight years, utilizing gravitational assists from Venus, Earth, and Mars while studying six asteroids before reaching 269 Justitia. The spacecraft is set to launch from Japan in March 2028, within a tight three-week window that aligns with optimal interplanetary conditions.
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Autonomous Probe
Throughout its journey, the probe will rely entirely on onboard systems, deciding independently when to take photos, how many to collect, and which to retain. TII’s custom digital processing unit manages imaging, power distribution, and decision-making, enabling the probe to function autonomously far beyond Earth’s reach.
In early 2036, the probe will detach during a low-altitude orbit and descend to Justitia’s surface, capturing continuous images while transmitting data back to the spacecraft. These images will let researchers analyze subsurface materials that cannot be studied from orbit, offering fresh insights into the asteroid’s composition and structure.
The EMA mission is the UAE’s second interplanetary mission and the first in which the spacecraft element has been designed, engineered, assembled, and tested within the country. The mission sits within a broader national commitment to the sector, with the Supreme Space Council approving a AED 1 billion International Space Cooperation Program in May 2026 to connect UAE research institutions with counterparts internationally and develop Emirati talent.
The program has also trained Emirati engineers and strengthened capabilities for a globally competitive UAE space-technology ecosystem.
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