[WATCH] UAE’s Hope Probe 85% Complete, Gears Up for 2020 Mars Launch

[WATCH] UAE’s Hope Probe Reaches 85% Completion, Gears Up for Mars Launch by 2020

Following the announcement of the main Emirati astronaut set to travel to the International Space Station sometime in September this year, the UAE government has another breakthrough set to be unveiled in time for the UAE’s 50th founding anniversary.

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With the leadership’s focus now set on international breakthroughs and innovations, it’s no wonder that space studies have become an all-too important sector being developed in the country as of late.

UAE Space Agency Declares Hope Probe’s Near Completion Status

The UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) issued a joint statement confirming that most of the main parts of the UAE’s Hope Probe Project are 85% complete and are currently undergoing testing to ensure the probe’s readiness for activation months before its launch set for next year, as shared in a report by WAM.

Hope Probe is slated for take-off in just a little under 500 days and is scheduled to reach Mars by 2021 in time for the 50th anniversary of the UAE’s foundation.

Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, shared that the UAE is on the verge of making history, after turning its dream of becoming the first Arabic and Islamic country to send a spacecraft to Mars into a reality.

The momentous breakthrough marks the culmination of the efforts of a skilled and experienced team of young Emiratis who, with the support of the nation and its visionary leadership, will secure the UAE’s position at the forefront of space exploration, noted Dr. Al Falasi.

Various aspects in relation to the probe’s design, assembly of the structure, cameras, and control have already been verified.

Other systems and components, as well as the probe’s ability to communicate with the ground station, have also been checked by the team.

The scientific devices that the probe will be using include the Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI), Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS), and the Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS), which have also been tested and confirmed ready for mission.

The devices mentioned will be key to achieving the mission’s objectives, which focus on gaining a deeper and wider understanding of Mars’ atmosphere.

Another unique feature of the mission is that for the first time, a Mars exploration project will be able to take a global picture of the Red Planet’s atmosphere.

The mission will entail documenting an integrated picture of Mars’ atmosphere observed throughout the day and for a long period of time, keeping records of all relevant data about the planet during different seasons across the year. Findings will then be shared eventually to the international scientific community for bench-marking.

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