Mars mission will carry entire Arab world’s hope
The Emirati project signifies humanity’s quest to know more about the Red planet
In less than a week, the UAE’s historic Mars mission, the Hope Probe, will be launched into space from a Japanese space centre, ushering in a new era for the country, the Arab world and the global space community. The mission is unique in many ways and has many significant historic milestones. This is the first Arab venture into not only space but also to the Red planet (only four other countries have ever attempted the Mars missions before: the Soviet Union, the United States, China and India). On July 15, the UAE will join this prestigious club on behalf of the Arab world.
Hope means ‘Amal’ in Arabic. The probe is the UAE’s hope of reviving the Arab renaissance era. The region for long has had more than its share of setbacks, to say the least. What the UAE is doing today is to invest in science and its youth to secure a bright future for the Arab nation among the developed world.
The probe is also humanity’s hope of getting to take a closer look than ever at different characteristics of the Red planet. It will provide the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere including the climate dynamics of the planet and its weather map, how the weather on Mars affects the escape of hydrogen and oxygen from its atmosphere, understanding the structure and variability of hydrogen and oxygen in the upper atmosphere, and identifying why Mars is losing those gases into space. Another key objective is to offer the global scientific community new insights into why Mars is not suitable for human habitation. This critical data will be collected for an entire Martian year (187 earth days) and once verified, will be shared with the research institutes around the world. It will be the UAE’s gift to the world as the nation celebrates its golden anniversary next year.
Thirdly, Hope’s message to all of us is very clear. On July 15, this young nation will officially enter a new era in its progress march that began in December 1971. The announcement of the new government structure earlier this week shows the future direction of the UAE. The country is moving with confidence into new and unconventional economic sphere by focusing on the digital and technological aspects of the economy, by investing in its people.
The UAE Hope mission has been designed, completed and supervised by 100 per cent Emirati skills. Come next week this is the key message that will be carried high, beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.