UAE Mars Mission: Hope almost on the red planet
The UAE’s Hope probe was on its final approach to Mars on Tuesday where it is due to enter the planet’s orbit after a six-month trip into outer space.
UAE PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said there is a 50 per cent chance of failure but he remained confident of success.
The Hope Probe Mission will start the Mars orbit insertion phase later today (3:42 pm GMT) after travelling 493 million kilometres since its launch from Japan on July 20, 2020.
Once Hope successfully entered the planet’s orbit, the probe will gather up to 1,000 gigabytes of scientific data about the Martian atmosphere, which will be shared with 200 scientific and academic institutions globally for free.
The UAE PM said the mission was historic for the UAE and the region and would inspire other Arabs to “reach for the skies,” state news agency WAM reported.
“The biggest challenge for the Probe is to enter Mars orbit… though the failure rate is 50 per cent I believe success is within our grasp…,” he said.
“This is the farthest point in the universe to be reached by Arabs throughout their history… Our goal is to give hope to all Arabs that we are capable of competing with the rest of the world.”
Despite the risks, the team are strong in their belief they are ready for all outcomes said Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum.
“The team is ready for all scenarios as the Hope Probe gears up for its Mars Orbit Insertion and the commencement of its scientific mission,” he said.
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