Comments on: UAE extends mission of its Al-Amal Mars orbiter

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:28:34 +0000

Jeff Wright:

UAE is a not yet a playa in space, but they are looking to be. A successful mission to Mars, and an attempt to land a rover on the Moon: but the delivery system, didn’t. They have an asteroid mission upcoming, and another Lunar rover attempt; this time with an American lander. The UAE seems very much planning to spend more on space.

https://space.gov.ae/en

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:48:15 +0000

I hope the UAE continues to spend more on space.

By: Richard M

Richard M — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:03:38 +0000

Hello Bob,

Well, don’t I feel sheepish? Obviously, I missed it at the time, alas… I can only plead that I wasn’t surfing here as often in 2023 as I am now!

I am glad I have seen it now, either way. The UAE may not have built this thing, but I am glad that they paid for it, because if nothing else, we wouldn’t have that amazing sequence of shots of Deimos otherwise. (There are other reasons, too, of course, as your post makes clear.)

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:58:30 +0000

In reply to Richard M. Richard M: Actually, this image is a repost from my 2023 post, when I reported its publication, when it happened. If you hadn't seen it before its because you hadn't been looking in the right places at that time. :)

By: Richard M

Richard M — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:52:26 +0000

That’s a really spectacular photo of Deimos — I had never seen that before!

By: Milt

Milt — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:57:26 +0000

Beautiful images of Deimos. Thank you for posting them. Oddly, I had never seen these in such expected places as Sky & Telescope, especially — as you say — they give us our first really good look at this tiny moon.