ESA reported on October 14, 2026, that the first electronics version of the Rover Permittivity Sensor suite (RPS), designed for the United Arab Emirates’ Rashid-3 lunar rover, had been built and tested successfully at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and ESA’s ESTEC center. The electronics were ready for planned shipment to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) later in 2026, followed by integration into an avionics model of Rashid-3, according to ESA.
How the wheel-mounted sensor is designed to search for ice
RPS is designed to fit directly into one of Rashid-3’s four wheels and investigate the lunar surface and shallow subsurface as the rover moves. It will measure how regolith—the loose material covering the Moon’s surface—responds to electrical signals, along with surface temperature.
The sensor’s purpose is to help identify places where water ice may be hidden. Dry regolith and water ice have different electrical properties, and temperature affects that electrical behavior. RPS’s local measurements are also intended to complement observations from orbit, helping researchers understand where lunar water is distributed and how accessible it may be.
Rashid-3’s planned lunar mission
ESA plans to send Rashid-3 to the Moon’s south polar region no earlier than 2029. The rover’s RPS instrument is designed to investigate possible water ice there.
