Nasa offering new opportunities to global partners as Trump's proposed budget cuts challenge lunar Gateway
US space agency Nasa is expanding opportunities for its international partners to take part in its Moon and Mars exploration efforts, as it prepares to adjust its road map in response to proposed budget cuts by the White House. The Trump administration put forward a $18.8 billion budget for 2026, down 24 per cent from last year, with much of that to be allocated for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. The budget also cuts or reshapes programmes, including ending the Gateway project, a lunar-orbiting station that Nasa and numerous countries were building parts for. But the agency said in a statement that components already produced for the station would be repurposed for other missions to the Moon and Mars, in which international partners would be invited to part in through 'meaningful collaboration'. 'Nasa's international partnerships are an important part of the Artemis campaign, which includes returning humans to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars,' the agency told The National in a statement. 'We have identified, defined and prioritised a number of critical technology gaps in order to enable future lunar and Mars missions. 'The Moon to Mars Architecture outlines opportunities and processes for international partners to propose co-operation that addresses these gaps.' The agency's Architecture Definition Document details what technologies and systems are still needed to make long-term exploration sustainable, covering everything from power systems to surface habitats and communication networks. Dimitra Atri, an astrophysicist at New York University Abu Dhabi, said this evolving landscape presents newer opportunities for countries like the UAE, which is investing heavily in its space sector. 'Beyond the Gateway airlock, the UAE can contribute significantly through advanced robotics and surface mobility systems, building on the Rashid rover experience,' Dr Atri told The National. 'The UAE also has proven capabilities in satellite technology, which could enhance communications networks on the Moon and Mars. 'Our growing expertise in AI and data analysis, honed through missions like the Hope probe, can support complex operations and scientific discovery across Nasa's Moon to Mars architecture.' The budget proposal and redirecting funds to Moon and Mars mission is part of the US government's efforts to beat China on sending humans to the lunar surface and Mars. But for the UAE and other emerging space powers, joining Nasa's renewed efforts could be more than just planting a flag, Dr Atri said. 'Active participation in lunar and Martian exploration is vital for the UAE,' he said. 'Scientifically, it places the country at the forefront of discovery, contributing to humanity's understanding of the universe and our place within it. 'Strategically, it accelerates technological innovation vital for a knowledge-based economy, inspires a new generation towards Stem [Science, technology, engineering and mathematics] fields and cements the UAE's position as a capable partner in defining the future of international space exploration.' Nasa's Architecture Document outlines areas where partners can step in, from helping develop energy systems and lunar construction technologies to providing science payloads and transportation solutions. The UAE, with its investments in developing lunar rovers, satellite communications and human space flight training, is well positioned to tackle multiple roles. Dr Atri said that universities also play an equally crucial role in supporting these ambitions. At NYU Abu Dhabi, for example, researchers are working on lunar simulants, developing instruments for future missions and testing sustainable agriculture solutions for use in Moon or Mars habitats. 'Our contributions include direct participation in projects like the Emirates Lunar Mission, and we've developed infrastructure such as a planetary environment chamber to test hardware under simulated Moon and Mars conditions,' Dr Atri said. 'We also leverage our experience with field studies in the UAE's deserts, which serve as valuable analogue environments for Mars and lunar exploration.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Who is Yonas Kibreab, 14-year-old Filipino Eritrean star of Pixar's Elio?
In Elio, a boy is transported to a utopia in the middle of the galaxy. It's called the Communiverse, a place where aliens from across the stars joyously share the secrets of the universe. For young Elio, it's a dream come true. Yonas Ascuncion Kibreab, the 14-year-old Filipino-Eritrean American actor who plays the title role, once had a moment like that, too. It was the day he went to Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. Kibreab tells The National: 'That campus is so magical. Being there, it's almost like you're living in a Pixar movie. All the people there are so cool and creative – I'm just so grateful I got to go there.' While he's now one of the handful of child actors to ever lead a Pixar movie, he never thought it possible he'd get there. Growing up, he wanted to be a professional tennis player – though he did watch the film Up over and over – crying each time. 'I started playing tennis when I was around three, and I played until I was 12. But I loved it so much that I would make funny tennis-related videos,' says Kibreab. The US Tennis Association saw his work, inviting him to the US Open in New York to interview the top tennis players. 'I was like, 'oh heck yeah'. That was the dream. But my parents saw me doing the interviews, and they thought, 'I think he could be a good actor'. So I got an agent, did a commercial audition, and now I'm here,' Kibreab says. In the character of Elio, who its Armenian-American co-director Madeline Sharafian describes as 'the world's weirdest kid', Kibreab related most to his active imagination, outgoing personality, and the fact that he doesn't care what people think. 'I think that's his superpower. It was never hard to go into Elio's character, because he's like me in a lot of ways.' When Kibreab auditioned for the role, he didn't have the script – which he found thrilling. 'It was the coolest thing. I could imagine what this movie was – what my character looked like. And all the aliens and the amazing universe that Pixar's animators had created. It was so special because it's something no one had ever seen before,' he continues. In the three years that he played the character, from the age of 11 until 14, he bonded with his character to the point that, to play the most emotional scenes, he didn't have to think of any sad moments in his own life. 'It was Elio that really helped me. I just had to think of Elio's story. There were so many deep things for me. When he's crying in the story, honestly, just that itself made me cry,' says Kibreab. In the film, however, Kibreab actually plays two characters – both Elio, and the AI clone of Elio made by the ship's computer in the Communiverse. The clone travels back to Earth and takes his place, living with his aunt and pretending to be him. 'I feel like other Elio is a little bit creepier,' says Kibreab. 'The directors were like, 'have you seen any horror movies?' I'm like, Yeah, I have!' So they told me, 'just try to do your creepiest voice.'' The young actor got so into the role, that he suggested to the directors that they record both characters at the same time, with him switching back and forth between playing both versions without a break. 'They're like, wow, that's a cool idea. Let's try it,' says Kibreab. In the years that he recorded for the role, Kibreab started to grow up behind the scenes – so fast he hardly noticed until he went to the film's premiere. When he looked up at the screen, he remembered how different Elio was when he auditioned for him – how unsure of himself he was. But the character in the finished product is different – a reflection of the young man he's becoming. 'He has more confidence now than he did. When I watched the movie, I kind of teared up a little bit, because I really felt how Elio is feeling,' says Kibreab.
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil released from US custody: Media
Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of US pro-Palestinian campus protests, was released from a federal detention centre on Friday, according to news footage. The former Columbia University student was seen leaving the immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, hours after a federal judge ordered his release after more than three months in custody. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a lawsuit challenging as unconstitutional the Trump administration's actions to deport international students and scholars who protest or express support for Palestinian rights. The lawsuit, filed on March 15 in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York, seeks a nationwide temporary restraining order to block enforcement of two executive orders signed by US President Donald Trump in the first month of his term. The lawsuit comes after the detention of a Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old permanent US resident of Palestinian descent, whose arrest sparked protests this month.
UAE Moments
8 hours ago
- UAE Moments
SpaceX Starship Ship 36 Explodes Before Flight Test
SpaceX was set to perform a static fire test of Ship 36 before its planned 10th flight test for its Starship; however, a massive explosion at the Massey's Testing Center site disrupted SpaceX's plans on Wednesday, June 18. 'A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,' SpaceX said in a statement. According to SpaceX, there were no hazards to residents in the area, which is located in Starbase, Texas. The fire continued for two hours after the initial explosion, according to live camera feeds from NASA Spaceflight and LabPadre. The explosion occurred before the start of the static fire and thirty minutes after the propellant load sequence started. The cause of the explosion and the extent of the possible damage are unknown; however, it follows explosions during the seventh, eighth, and ninth Starship flight tests earlier this year. The Brownsville Fire Department crews responded to the incident, according to KRGV news. Fox News reported that the authorities ensured that there were no injuries during the incident. If the explosion had not occurred, the flight test would have continued using SpaceX's 'V2' Starship design. SpaceX is also preparing a V3 design, which is targeting a rate of launching once a week in about 12 months. This article was previously published on omanmoments. To see the original article, click here
