HISTORIC MISSION TO MARS RIGHT ON SCHEDULE
▶ ‘All systems go’ as UAE prepares to send Hope probe to the Red Planet
The UAE is a little more than two days away its next historic feat as it prepares to launch the Hope probe on a mission to Mars.
The launch is set for 12.51am on Wednesday and will be streamed live on the official mission website, www.emiratesmarsmission.ae/live
The stream will be in English and Arabic, with options to watch with or without commentary. The mission is on schedule although several weather checks will be carried out in advance to ensure a smooth lift-off.
Sarah Al Amiri, president of the UAE Space Agency and deputy project manager of the mission, confirmed that all systems were go.
“The spacecraft is ready for launch and all of the systems are now at a level that is ready to be launched,” said Ms Al Amiri, also Minister of State for Advanced Science.
“The final checks are ongoing on the launch vehicle and mission control. We are ready to launch as scheduled early in the morning on July 15.”
As the UAE prepares for the launch, Dr Farouk El Baz, a renowned scientist who worked on the US Apollo programme in the 1960s, described the late Sheikh Zayed’s enthusiasm for space exploration.
Dr El Baz said he first met the Founding Father in the UAE in 1974, five years after the US first put a man on the Moon.
Sheikh Zayed had a deep interest in space and welcomed the chance to meet Dr El Baz.
Nearly 46 years later, the UAE is ready to send the Arab world’s first mission to Mars.
Hope was built by more than 150 Emirati engineers, scientists and researchers, with the help of three US universities.
The mission plan is to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere when it reaches orbit in 2021.
The UAE is about two days from achieving another historic feat with the launch of its Hope probe for a mission to Mars.
Millions of people around the world tuned in online when Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati astronaut, blasted off into space last year.
Now, all eyes are on the Emirates Mars Mission, which is the first Arab mission to the Red Planet.
People can watch the live stream of the launch on the official mission website.
This stream is available in English and Arabic and viewers will be able to choose to watch the event with or without commentary.
The launch is scheduled to take place at 12.51am UAE time on Wednesday, but coverage will start before that.
The mission is on schedule and several weather checks will be carried out to ensure a smooth lift off.
Latest updates show the probe, which is now inside the payload fairing, is in the process of being mounted on top of the rocket.
The rocket will be rolled out to the launch pad in an operation that will take between 30 and 40 minutes to complete to protect the rocket and the probe from damage.
Sarah Al Amiri, president of the UAE Space Agency, deputy project manager of the mission and Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, confirmed that all systems were go for the launch on Wednesday.
“The spacecraft is ready for launch and all of the systems are now at a level that is ready to be launched,” she said.
“We also checked the ground segment and the operations in mission control and they are ready to accept the spacecraft after launch.
“The final checks are currently ongoing on both the launch vehicle and mission control.
“We are ready to launch as scheduled early in the morning on July 15.”
The launch takes place on Wednesday at 12.51am UAE time, but online coverage of the event will start before that