ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS
The Emirates Mars Mission “Hope Probe” captured new observations about Mars atmosphere in its third batch of scientific data collected by the probe’s instruments during its mission in Mars’ orbit, between 1 September and 30 November 2021. Coverage and quick look images from all the Hope Probe’s instruments can be accessed on the Emirates Mars Mission’s website.
The data from the third batch included more than 57 gigabytes of information, images, and data about the Red Planet’s atmosphere, which were captured by the probe’s scientific instruments, making the total data released by the Hope Probe equivalent to 827.7 gigabytes. Within the data, a special high cadence imagery observation took place using the Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI) camera. The observation was designed to attempt to capture motion and evolution in the atmosphere, where it observed high-density clouds on 22 November 2021.
During the period in which the third batch of data was collected, the Mars Solar Conjunction phase took place, which paused communication, science observations and data collection. This was due to the blocked line-of-sight communication between Earth and missions around Mars, with Earth and Mars being on the opposite sides of the Sun. During this phase, which happens almost every two years, the Sun emits hot, ionised gas, which interfered with radio signals when communicating with the Hope Probe. As soon as the phase was over, Mars’ orbital motion around the Sun allowed the Hope Probe to regain its communication.
The third batch of information and data was shared with the scientific community and astronomy enthusiasts from around the world via the data centre on the project’s website. The Emirates Mars Mission releases data every three months after the data captured by probe’s instruments is catalogued and analysed by the project’s science team. The first and second batches of data received considerable interest by scientists, researchers, experts, and astronomy enthusiasts from around the world, who have downloaded around 1.4 terabytes of this data.
Eng. Omran Sharaf, Project Director of Emirates Mars Mission, said: “Publishing the data and images captured by the Hope Probe and sharing it with the global scientific community reflects the UAE’s commitment to supporting scientific progress in the field of space and related sciences. Sharing this data about the Red Planet’s atmosphere and climate with scientists, engineers, researchers, students, and other beneficiaries will contribute to supporting scientific research and studies that seek to find out more about Mars and its climate’s shifts and interactions.”
Sharaf added, “The Probe is continuing its planned mission to orbit around Mars perfectly. The efficiency and high quality of the Probe, manufactured by esteemed Emirati skills and international expertise, is the culmination of years of advances and progresses in manufacturing satellites, in accordance with world-class engineering and industrial standards. The Probe today is offering its remarkable scientific capabilities to the community of scientists and researchers studying the Red Planet, thereby consolidating the UAE’s prestigious position in the space field”.
Hessa Al Matroushi, Emirates Mars Mission Science Lead, said: “It is very exciting to check the most recent coverage of the Mars Hope Probe. Every data downlink we receive provides us with additional insights on Mars and its atmosphere. This supports the mission’s objectives of providing useful scientific data, as well as enhancing our national capabilities, and fostering global collaboration.”
The Hope Probe’s orbit, which is between 20,000 and 43,000 km with a 25-degree incline towards Mars, gives it the unique ability to complete one
observations of the discrete aurora, we have continued to see incredible new patterns of aurora that open new insights into the interactions of charged particles in the Martian atmosphere,” said Al Matroushi. “There is a very great deal of new information here for the EMM science team to unpick.”
One of three instruments on board Mars Hope Probe, EMUS’ principal science goal is the measurement of oxygen and carbon monoxide in Mars’ thermosphere and the variability of hydrogen and oxygen in the exosphere.
Hope is following its planned 20,000 – 43,000 km elliptical science orbit, with an inclination to Mars of 25 degrees. The probe completes one orbit of the planet every 55 hours and captures a full planetary data sample every nine days throughout its two-year mission to map Mar’s atmospheric dynamics.
EMM and the Hope probe are the culmination of a knowledge transfer and development effort started in 2006, which has seen Emirati engineers working with partners around the world to develop the UAE’s spacecraft design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Hope is a fully autonomous spacecraft, carrying three instruments to measure Mars’ atmosphere. Weighing some 1,350 kg, and approximately the size of a small SUV, the spacecraft was designed and developed by MBRSC engineers working with academic partners, including LASP at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Arizona State University and the University of California, Berkeley.
The Emirates Mars Mission is studying the Martian atmosphere and the relationship between the upper layer and lower regions and, for the first time, gives the international science community full access to a holistic view of the Martian atmosphere at different times of the day, through different seasons. Science data releases have been taking place every three months, with the information made freely accessible globally to researchers and enthusiasts,
The Hope Probe’s historic arrival at the Red Planet coincided with a year of celebrations to mark the UAE’s Golden Jubilee in 2021.