DUBAI (UAE) – As part of an endeavour to develop its scientific and technological prowess and reduce its reliance on oil, the UAE launched its debut mission to Mars on Monday.
The UAE’s Hope Probe was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 1:58 am UAE time/6:58 am Japanese time (2158 GMT Sunday) for a seven-month journey to Mars, where it will orbit and transmit data about the atmosphere of the red planet.
The first Mars mission from an Arab country was initially scheduled for July 14, but it was delayed twice because of bad weather.
An hour after blast off, the probe deployed its solar panels to run its systems and established radio contact with the mission on earth.
As many as eight active missions are exploring the planet. Some are orbiting it while others have landed on its surface. The US and China are slated to send a mission each this year.
UAE minister for advanced sciences Sarah Amiri said the Mars Mission has cost $200 million and it aims to get a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere, examining daily and seasonal changes.
The UAE had announced plans for the Mars Mission in 2014 and launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, comprising mostly expatriate workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of big space exploring countries.
The country is focussed on an ambitious plan for a settlement on Mars 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, Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) worked with US educational institutions.
The Dubai-based MBRSC space centre will supervise the spacecraft during its 494 million km (307 million mile) journey at an average speed of 121,000 km per hour.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field