UAE rocket blasts off in mission to explore Mars
The United Arab Emirates launched its first mission to Mars early today as it strives to develop its scientific and technology capabilities and move away from its reliance on oil.
The Hope Probe blasted off from Japan‘s Tanegashima Space Center at 06.58 local time [21.58 GMT] for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and send back data about the atmosphere.
The Arab world’s first mission to Mars was initially due to launch on 14 July but has been delayed twice due to bad weather.
There are currently eight active missions exploring Mars; some orbit the planet and some have landed on its surface. China and the United States each plan to send another this year.
The Emirates Mars Mission has cost $200m (£155.8m), according to minister for advanced sciences Sarah Amiri. It aims to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes.
The UAE first announced plans for the mission in 2014 and launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the big spacefaring nations.
It has an ambitious plan for a Mars settlement by 2117. Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space last September when he flew to the International Space Station.
To develop and build the Hope Probe, Emiratis and Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) worked with US educational institutions.
Around an hour after launch the probe deployed solar panels to power its communication and other systems. The MBRSC space centre in Dubai will then oversee the spacecraft during its 494 million km journey at an average speed of 121,000 kmph.