Israel and the UAE will sign, on Wednesday, an agreement in the field of space, including the joint launch of the second Israeli space mission to the moon, "Genesis 2", according to what Anatolia Agency and Russia Today reported on the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The Turkish agency quoted this newspaper as saying that the Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash Hacohen, traveled yesterday to the Emirate of Dubai in the UAE, on a visit that is the first of its kind, during which she will meet with the Minister of Advanced Technology Sarah Al-Amiri.
At the Expo 2020 Dubai, the two ministers will sign an agreement, the first of its kind between the two sides in the field of space, according to the Israeli newspaper.
The agreement provides for "the implementation of joint space projects, including the development of space technologies, satellites and space research systems, such as robots, vehicles, optical systems and educational programs."
Yedioth Ahronoth stated that the planned signing includes not only a framework agreement between the two sides for cooperation between the two space agencies, but also a memorandum of understanding regarding specific projects that have already been implemented for months, without further details about them.
She added that the agreement includes the joint launch of a special space mission that aims to land on the moon in 2024, and bears the name "Beresheet 2" (Genesis 2), in reference to the first books of the Torah.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the Times of Israel reported that Tel Aviv has so far raised $70 million from investors for the second mission to the moon, which is expected to cost about $100 million.
In 2019, Israel launched the first space mission under the name "Beresheet 1," but the vehicle crashed while trying to land on the moon, failing to achieve the success achieved by the United States, the former Soviet Union and China.
Yedioth Ahronoth noted that during the aforementioned mission, the flags of Israel and the UAE will be raised together on the surface of the moon.
The purpose of the trip is to land two spacecraft, one of which is on the far side of the moon, in addition to the fact that the mother spacecraft is supposed to orbit the moon for approximately 5 years, according to the newspaper.
The two sides will also conduct a joint scientific study based on data from the Israeli-French satellite "Venus", which was launched into space in August 2017.