DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday made a history after its space mission named Hope Probe reached Mars successfully.
“Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), the first interplanetary mission undertaken by an Arab nation, made a major milestone for the mission as the Hope Probe reached its Mars Orbit Insertion, MOI, on Tuesday evening at 7:42 p.m. UAE local time, completing its 7-month journey to Mars,” said WAM news agency.
It has become the fifth country in the world to reach the red planet. The historic event also marks the 50th anniversary of the UAE’s Union formation.
مسبار الأمل – مرحلة الدخول إلى مدار المريخ https://t.co/ykL4MEzcQL
— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021
The EMM, the country’s first mission to the Red Planet, is designed to orbit Mars and study the dynamics in the Martian atmosphere on a global scale, and on both diurnal and seasonal timescales.
Using three scientific instruments on board of the spacecraft, EMM will provide a set of measurements fundamental to an improved understanding of circulation and weather in the Martian lower and middle atmosphere.
The Hope probe was launched on July 20 from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Station.
Russia was the first country to land a spacecraft on the Red Planet in 1971 and 1973. It was followed by the US with its eight successful landings on Mars between 1976 and 2018.
European Union in 1993 and India in 2014 joined the club.
