Dubai: Mark the date: July 15 (Wednesday) and the time 12:51am (UAE time). It’s a big moment as we witness the historic launch of the first Arab interplanetary mission.
Hope Probe, which will begin its journey to Mars on July 15 at exactly 12:51:27am from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre (TNSC), will be streamed live on https://www.emiratesmarsmission.ae/live/.
The launch of Hope Probe will also mark as the first time in history that the countdown for a space mission will be done in Arabic.
“With a voice that will make history, the Hope Probe to Mars will be launched with the first Arabic countdown ever,” the Dubai Media Office tweeted earlier.
“Our voice will echo our ancestors legacy and a voice will make history with the first Arabic countdown,” added a video released by the EMM.
From Mars and beyond
The spacecraft will take a 495-million kilometre journey to reach and orbit Mars. The voyage will take around 200 days and Hope Probe is expected to reach Mars in February 2021, coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.
It is touted as the first true weather satellite at Mars. It will provide a complete view of Mars atmosphere and answer vital scientific questions, including why Mars the loss hydrogen and oxygen gases into space. Hope Probe will help international scientist understand the weather and learn how Mars lost some of its atmosphere over billions of years
According to a tweet by Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) on Sunday, “Hope is more than just a word. Hope has become a probe that carries with it our ambitions for Mars and beyond.”
Emirati engineer Hamad Al Hazmi, who is part of the EMM team, told Gulf News: “Hope Probe is a true testament to the efforts by Emiratis, Arabs and Muslims. It represents a major turning point in the UAE’s past 50 years and (what it will achieve) in the next 50 years.”
Al Hazmi also described Hope Probe as a scientific mission that is a symbol of hope for hundreds of millions of people across the 56 Arab and Islamic countries. The UAE has initiated the Arab Space Co-operation Group, an organisation of 14 Arab nations exchaning knowledge in space science.
