In photos: UAE Hope Probe launch as it happened

At 1.26am [UAE time] on Saturday, Hope Probe mission received the final ‘Go’ command for the launch

Launch of the UAE Hope Probe mission.

Around 200 days from now, the spacecraft will reach Mars orbit and begin its mission to study the Red Planet’s atmosphere.

Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency: 'It’s like a three-way race to Mars this year and the UAE is headed to be the first country to reach Mars before US and China.'

Hope Probe will orbit Mars and its study its atmosphere from distance between 20,000km to 43,000km

Most Mars missions orbit at a single local time that allowed the atmosphere to be measured at only one time of day but Hope Probe will do circle Mars for the entire Martian year, which is equivalent to almost two Earth years.