Eyes turn to Mars mission after success of KhalifaSat’s launch

The successful launch of KhalifaSat last week is proof that the UAE’s Mars probe mission is on track, the satellite’s project manager said.

Amer Al Sayegh from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, was speaking at an event to celebrate the launch of the first satellite to be completely built in the UAE.

Mr Al Sayegh said that the team would now turn its sights to the Mars Hope Probe project with even more confidence that it would be successfully delivered on time.

The Mars Hope Probe project is a space exploration mission to Mars, which is expected to be launched on 2020 and arrive on Mars in 2021.

If it stays on schedule, its arrival will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the UAE the same year.

Mr Al Sayegh did not want to divulge any more information yet.

During the event at the space centre yesterday, the first image taken by KhalifaSat and sent to the Dubai headquarters was shown.

The image was of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, but it will be early next year before the public will have a chance to see pictures taken by the satellite.

This is to give the team time to make sure they are of “sufficiently high standard”.

The role of KhalifaSat is yet to be determined, although an official said it would not be used as a military service tool.

It was launched into space from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan on October 29.