Mars colonization has been a long-term goal of the international space industry. In 2017, the United Arab Emirates unveiled ambitious plans to build a fully functional city on Mars over the next 100 years.
As part of the nation's intentions to develop a colony on the Red Planet by the year 2117, Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) is undertaking a massive project to replicate life on Mars in the Metaverse. The space center has already sent the Hope spacecraft into orbit to study the planet's atmosphere, and it is building a $136 million mega scientific city in Dubai that will mimic Mars' environmental characteristics.
In this context, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) has partnered with BEDU, a Dubai-based Web3 technologies and solutions provider. According to a statement, BEDU will contribute its expertise through a series of workshops and strategy conferences which will include advice and data about space and Mars, consulting services regarding NFTs and the Metaverse, virtual reality experiences that simulate being in space and walking on Mars, as well as raising awareness of the difficulties associated with exploration and colonization. This set up will steer the committee to track its progress of the project.
Adnan al-Rais, the Mars 2117 program manager at MBRSC said: "As we set our sights on ever more challenging destinations for exploration with humans and robots, innovative ideas and future thinking will be critical to helping us reach new milestones."
Amin Al Zarouni, CEO of Bedu stated: “The UAE is known throughout the world as a pioneer,” he added, "As it takes its place as a frontrunner in the race to put the first humans on another world, we congratulate Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center for its recent successes and the bold scope of its planned future endeavours." His statement continued: “We are excited to partner with MBRSC and are honored to capture this spellbinding adventure to the stars using the power of the latest and greatest technologies here on Earth. With 2117 we aspire to deliver a fully experience driven Metaverse that focuses on creating endless opportunities for both, individuals, and organisations.”
The UAE's space program not only conducts missions but also strives to create jobs. In the UAE, around 57 space enterprises and 5 organizations for space scientific research are active, supporting over 3,200 jobs in the sector.
