Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

The UAE has announced it will extend the mission of its historic Hope Probe to 2028, marking another milestone in the country’s expanding space programme. Launched in 2020, the Emirates Mars Mission successfully entered the Red Planet’s orbit on February 9, 2021. The achievement made the UAE the first Arab nation and the fifth country in the world to reach Mars. The car-sized spacecraft has since delivered critical data about Mars’ climate history, atmospheric dynamics and the presence of biosignature gases that could indicate whether the planet once hosted life. It has also provided new insights into Martian auroras, weather systems and Deimos, one of Mars’ two moons. Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said the mission has surpassed expectations. “Today, we are talking about the impact of this project,” he said. “When we started this mission, the initial goal was to send data back to Earth and share it with the global scientific community.” “Today, we have exceeded that target tenfold, delivering more than 10 terabytes of high-quality scientific data. From an operational perspective, the mission was originally designed for one year in orbit, equivalent to two Earth years. Yet by 2026, we will have completed five years in orbit.” Dr Al Falasi said the mission’s influence extends beyond scientific research. “What makes us particularly proud is not only that the spacecraft is performing well, but that the mission has had a tangible impact on the UAE and the wider region,” he said. “More than 100,000 students and teachers have taken part in the ‘Generation of Space’ programme, which encourages young people to explore science and mathematics.” He added that university enrolment in STEM programmes increased from 19,260 students to 25,000 in four years, a 31 percent rise. “This is the true impact of any space exploration mission: accelerating scientific development and inspiring national progress,” he said. CAM/Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube page