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- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) space probe entered the orbit of Mars without major incident.
- The “Al-Amal” (Hope) mission is intended to help capture the first complete picture of the climate of Mars for a full year on the planet.
“Mission accomplished,” Prime Minister Mohammed bin Raschid al-Maktoum wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night. The first space probe in an Arab country to collect climate data on the Red Planet was launched from Japan in July.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and thus the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Sajid al-Nahjan, recently wrote in a tweet about a “historic mission of the United Arab Emirates.”
450 million kilometers covered
The “Al-Amal” (Hope) mission is intended to help capture the first complete picture of the climate of Mars for a full year on the planet. The space probe, which weighs 1,350 kilograms, will observe, among other things, the atmosphere, as well as climate changes and the change of seasons. In its seven-month journey, it traveled 450 million kilometers and flew through space at about 121,000 kilometers per hour.
“Al-Amal” is the first of three space missions to reach Mars this month. China and the US space agency Nasa have also launched probes.
The Emirates are continuing their space program. A lunar mission is also planned for the year 2024, during which an unmanned spacecraft will lift off for the Earth’s satellite and land there in a previously unexplored area.
Hope for image cultivation
Besides the scientific knowledge and the positive effects on the economy, the extremely wealthy Gulf state also hopes to improve its image. The disastrous human rights situation in the country is repeatedly the focus of international criticism.
Neighboring Saudi Arabia is following a similar strategy. A space agency was created there by royal decree in December 2018, just three months after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was critical of the government.
