UAE makes history

The UAE's mission to the Mars, the Hope Probe, successfully makes way into the orbit of Mars. The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) reached the Red planet on Tuesday night at 8.14 PM, making it the first Arab mission to achieve this historic event after a seven-month journey of 494 million kilometers.

A moment that shortens 6 years of hard work and continuous work for a full team of Emirati engineers who have spent 5.5 million hours on the operation. The probe began to slow its velocity from 121,000 km/h by reverse thrust for 27 minutes to an estimated speed of 18,000 km/h.

This triumph makes the UAE the fifth country to reach Mars and will allow the probe to begin sending data on the Martian atmosphere and climate. It is designed to gather scientific data automatically without having to control from the ground station as it takes about 20 minutes to receive radio signals from Mars to Earth.

The Hope probe is scheduled to remain in orbit around Mars for a two-year period. During the period, it will study the weather and atmosphere of the Red Planet using three advanced scientific instruments - namely the infrared spectrometer, the ULTRAVIOLET spectrometer, and a high-resolution digital exploration camera.

The President of the UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan said that the Hope Probe represents high quality, high-value addition to the UAE's outstanding achievements that will enter history as a source of pride for the UAE and its people.

"The UAE has led the Arab world to new frontiers in deep space for the first time in history. Our space mission carries a message of hope and confidence in Arab youth," stated Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The Mars program is part of the UAE's efforts to develop its scientific and technological capabilities. The Emirates Space Agency has an ambitious plan to build a settlement on Mars by 2117.