UAE Mars Mission: All you need to know

  DUBAI – The Emirates Mars Mission took off from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on Monday (July 20) to embark on the UAE’s first space exploration. Here’s all you need to know about the Hope Probe.

What is the Emirates Mars Mission?

It is the UAE and the Arab world’s first space mission to Mars.

How long will it take for the Hope Probe to reach Mars?

Approximately seven months or 200 days. The probe is expected to enter the Red Planet’s orbit in 2021.

Where is the Hope Probe now?

It is on its way to the Red Planet, travelling at speeds of up to 120,000kph on its 493-million km journey to Mars.

Will Hope Probe land on Mars?

No. The Hope Probe will only orbit Mars for a whole Martian year, which is equivalent to approximately 687 days.

Is there anyone onboard the Hope Probe?

No, but it has three instruments onboard to determined the planet’s weather, oxygen levels and atmosphere. The Hope Probe is equipped with the Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer, Emirates Exploration Imager and Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer. The images from these instruments will be sent back to the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in the UAE.

What do these instruments do?

The Emirates Exploration Imager is a multi-wavelength imager capable of capturing 12 mega-pixel visible images of Mars. It also measures the distribution of water ice and ozone in the lower atmosphere utilizing the ultraviolet bands. Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer observes Mars in the infrared band measures the optical depth of dust, ice clouds and water vapour in the atmosphere. It also measures the temperature of the surface and the lower atmosphere of Mars. Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer studies the upper atmosphere of Mars through the far-ultraviolet wavelengths. It determines the distribution of carbon monoxide and oxygen in the thermosphere. It also measures the distribution of oxygen and hydrogen in the exosphere of Mars.

What does the Hope Probe expect to find about Mars?

The Hope Probe will be the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers when it reaches the red planet's orbit in 2021. It will help answer key questions about the global Martian atmosphere and the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases into space over the span of one Martian year.

Who funded the UAE’s Mars mission?

The UAE Space Agency is funding and supervising procedures and necessary details for the implementation of this project.

Why did the UAE embark on a mission to Mars?

The UAE launched the Mars Mission to improve the quality of life on Earth by pushing limits to make new discoveries; to encourage global collaboration in Mars exploration; to demonstrate leadership in space research; to build Emirati capabilities in the field of interplanetary exploration; to build scientific knowledge; to inspire future Arab generations to pursue space science; to establish the UAE’s position as a beacon of progress in the region.

What are the technical details about the rocket launch?

The Hope Probe launched into space from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan aboard an H2A202 rocket, which is part of the H-IIA launch vehicle family. The 53 meters-high H-IIA Launch Vehicle is a high-performance rocket developed and operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which provides all the services related to the spacecraft launch including launch vehicle manufacturing, interface coordination, and launch operations at the space centre. ICA/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 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