ABU DHABI – The UAE has become the first Arab country and fifth globally to successfully reach Mars after its mission completed journey in seven months.
According to UAE’s official news agency, 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”.
The mission entered the orbit as country celebrating the 50th anniversary of the UAE’s Union formation.
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.
Earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary has wished the UAE “to conquer the space,” as the Hope Probe’s Mars orbit insertion attempt is expected to determine the success of the mission Tuesday evening.
Hope Probe is the first Mars mission launched by a Arab country. It if succeeds, it will make the UAE the fifth country ever to reach the Red Planet.
“Today is a great day for every human; but particularly for every Muslim, the UAE has made the whole Muslim world proud. The Emirates Mars Mission will be the first of three to arrive at Mars,” Fawad said in an exclusive video to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
“The mission is a contribution towards a knowledge-based economy in the UAE and Muslim Ummah. I wish you all the best. I wish that you conquer space!” he added.
Russia was the first country in the world to reach Mars in 1971 and 1973 and it was followed by the US with eight successful missions between 1976 and 2018. EU joined the prestigious club in 1993 while India reached the red planet in 2014.
