The United Arab Emirates have set ambitious plans for space, including pledging to build the first inhabitable human settlement on Mars by 2117. It begins with “Hope”.
The United Arab Emirates launched today its first Mars orbiter on a Japanese rocket from Tanegashima Space Center from a small southern Japanese island, representing the first interplanetary mission by an Arab country. Named “Amal” in Arabic, or “Hope” — was initially scheduled for this past Wednesday, but was delayed due to bad weather in the region. It arrives on Mars in February 2021, the year the UAE celebrates 50 years since its formation and will circle the planet for at least two years, providing the first full picture of its atmosphere during seasonal shifts.
According to ABC News, the $200 million Hope mission, also called the Emirates Mars Mission, will carry instruments to study the upper atmosphere and monitor seasonal changes in the climate on Mars. It is scheduled to circle the red planet for at least two years. The UAE says it will provide a complete view of the Martian atmosphere during different seasons for the first time. To build the Hope Probe spacecraft, a team of Emiratis and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai worked with three US universities.
“Years of hard work and dedication have paid off in a big way,” Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba said shortly after the launch during a virtual watch party. “This is a huge accomplishment, but it’s just the beginning.”
As a part of constant missions to the red planet, NASA’s Mars 2020 mission heads to countdown on July 30 with a massive six-wheeled, life-hunting rover carrying a tiny helicopter that will, if all goes well, become the first aircraft to fly on another planet. China is also planning a Mars trip, with a mission called Tianwen-1 scheduled to blast off on July 23. So far, the U.S. is the only country to land and operate rovers on Mars. The UAE has so far successfully launched three observation satellites, but has not gone beyond the Earth’s orbit. Hope may change that.
“It sends a very strong message to the Arab youth that if the UAE is able to reach Mars in less than 50 years, they could do much more,” Omran Sharaf, the project director of Emirates Mars Mission, told The Associated Press on Sunday as his colleagues prepared for the launch.
A New Hope: One more robot is on the way to Mars! Best wishes the @HopeMarsMission on the successful launch today. Enjoy the cruise, and I'll see you soon. pic.twitter.com/WD6Ma0LrVY
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) July 19, 2020
