Timeline of the UAE Mars mission
April 18, 2015
Dubai sets up the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre to conduct research and develop projects that will drive the UAE’s space ambitions and build its national capabilities. The centre will oversee preparations and implementation of the UAE’s mission to Mars. The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) will be an affiliate.
April 15, 2015
‘Zayed’ is the most popular name of choice for UAE residents and elsewhere to name the UAE Mars probe.
April 14, 2015
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum calls on the Arab nation on his Twitter page to come up with a name for the UAE Mars probe that will be launched from the UAE in 2021.
November 2, 2014
The UAE Cabinet approves the appointment of Dr Mohammad Nasser Al Ahbabi as director-general of the UAE Space Agency.
September 13, 2014
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum says the UAE’s historic project to send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021 will benefit all humanity and its findings will be made available to all countries to use. The goal of the project is to develop knowledge within universities and research centres and to build national capabilities in the fields of aerospace.
July 19, 2014
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum chairs the first meeting of the task force formed to implement the two projects UAE Space Agency and Mars probe.
July 16, 2014
UAE announces the creation of the UAE Space Agency to supervise the Mars mission. UAE space probe to blast off towards Mars in 2021. Sending an unmanned spacecraft to Mars will make the UAE the first Arab country and one of only nine countries with space programmes to explore Mars.
