RASIONALITAS KEBIJAKAN EMIRATES MARS MISSION OLEH PEMERINTAH UNI EMIRAT ARAB

The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) is the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) largest space project, launched in 2020 and successfully reaching Mars orbit in 2021. The mission not only carries scientific objectives but also functions as a catalyst for the transition toward a knowledge-based economy, the development of national human capital, and the strengthening of the UAE’s regional and international reputation. Using an explanatory research approach, this study seeks to answer why the UAE formulated and implemented its space policy through EMM. Assuming the UAE acts as a unified national actor, the research traces the stages of rationality in the EMM policy using Graham Allison’s Rational Actor Model (RAM). Goal-setting focused on economic diversification, the development of national human capital, and the enhancement of global reputation as a regional pioneer in space exploration. At the stage of identifying policy options, the government was faced with the choice of launching the mission on the ambitious timeline aligned with the Golden Jubilee 2021, or delaying it to reduce technical risks. The analysis shows that launching on schedule, despite its high risks, strengthened the UAE’s reputation as a regional pioneer in the space sector, enhanced national human capital, accelerated the transition toward a knowledge-based economy, and served as an inspiration for other non-hegemonic states seeking to use science and technology as a catalyst for economic transformation.