Mars

The United Arab Emirates’ Hope Probe lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, on a seven-month journey to the Red Planet. Image credited to Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Arab world’s first Mars mission is on its way

After several weather delays, the UAE’s Mars Hope Probe left planet Earth on Monday following a successful launch.

Mars

The United Arab Emirates’ Hope Probe lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, on a seven-month journey to the Red Planet. Image credited to Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

The Emirates Mars Mission, the first interplanetary mission undertaken by an Arab nation, is one its way to the Red Planet following a successful launch in the early hours of Monday morning (South African time).

The craft itself is known as the Mars Hope Probe and launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southwestern Japan on a 493-million km journey.

Following lift off from the launch platform, a two-stage 53m Mitsubishi MHI-2A rocket reached a velocity of 38 000 km/h (Mach 35) to place the probe into Earth’s orbit, from where it moves deeper into space.

Relief as weather improves and Mars launch goes ahead

Its launch came as a relief for the Emirates Mars Mission team after several delays caused by bad weather. All Mars missions this year have a small launch window which opens on 15 July and closes on 3 August.

Failure to launch during the window would have meant a delay until late 2022.

A lot of work to do yet, says project director

“This has been a defining moment on our six-year journey to build and launch Mars Hope,” said Omran Sharaf, EMM Project Director at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, following the launch.,

“The team at [the space centre] are delighted and celebrating, obviously. But there’s a lot of work yet to go.

“We’re in the Launch and Early Operations (LEOP) phase of the mission and commencing our seven-month cruise to Mars. The Hope probe has performed perfectly so far and we’re in great shape.”

The first comprehensive study of Mars’ climate

Its mission plan calls for it to enter Mars’ orbit in February 2021 and then to begin studying the Martian climate, with the aim of building the first full picture of the planet’s climate over a year. A Martian year lasts 687 Earth days.

It will not land on the surface of the planet, but remain in orbit above it.

Project is funded by the UAE Space Agency

EMM and the Hope probe has been funded by the UAE Space Agency and are the culmination of a knowledge transfer and development effort started in 2006.

This has seen Emirati engineers from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre working with partners around the world to develop the UAE’s spacecraft design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

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