This month, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a two million dollar fund for researchers and projects pursuing the future of human space habitation.  This new challenge, called the Space Settlement Challenge, is seeking brilliant minds to explore and develop new business models for living and working in space and is willing to fund any capable party for research and ideas which could contribute to the next major Mars expedition.

However, without help from the public and other major funders, the UAE may have a hard time gathering the information necessary to support the new technology and demands of the ever-changing space world.

“Space exploration is a positive thing, but it is important to look at all of our options,” said math teacher Mr. Paul Bjerkness.  “Private funding is only one way to gather information, and there are many sources needed to make something like this work.”

The endeavors that the UAE are taking on are highly sophisticated and the program is accepting information and new data on agriculture, economics and governance.  The ambitious country is currently preparing its first unmanned mission to Mars planned to launch in 2020.  The mission will put the UAE among a select few countries including the United States, Russia, India and the European Space Agency that have ever sent a probe into orbit around the Red Planet.

“It’s so amazing to think that we have the technology to make such big steps in space exploration,” said freshman Helena Chuchala.

In addition to orbiting Mars, the UAE has also said it wants to create a colony on the planet by 2117. In September last year, it unveiled plans for its Mars Science City project, a $136 million simulation center designed to replicate a Martian base in the desert outside Dubai.

While many professionals are needed to make these scientific steps for the future of space exploration, the UAE and private companies are foreseeing many high-paying jobs and employment positions opening up, predicted to have a positive impact on the economy on Earth.  As new innovations arise for space exploration and habitation, the whole world will have to work together to reach its common goal in space