It is of surprise that Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), the first Arab interplanetary mission, celebrated the first anniversary of its successful entry into Mars’ orbit and the gathering of a unique trove of Mars observations by the Hope Probe.
One year on, “the autonomous spacecraft has achieved historic milestones as part of its mandate to expand our understanding of the Martian planet,” according to the statement from the mission.
The Hope Probe successfully reached Mars’ orbit at 19:42 on February 9, 2021, completing one of the most complex and intricate stages of its mission, after a 493m kilometer, seven-month journey through space.
The probe’s arrival marked “a historic achievement for the Emirates and the Arab world and has resulted in unique and challenging observations of the Red Planet that have not only confounded our understanding of the Red Planet but added immeasurably to our knowledge of Mars’ complex and fascinating atmospheric dynamics,” read the statement.
Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency said: “Tuesday 9 February 2021 has become a historic occasion for the UAE, marking a unique achievement for our young nation. The Hope Probe is an inspiring success story for the youth of the UAE and the Arab world in general and comes as the culmination of a multinational effort to drive the development of our space sector, contribute to our growing space sector, and bring new insights into our human understanding of our nearest planetary neighbor – Mars.”
Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, stated that February 9, 2021, marks a defining moment in the history of the national space sector. “The successful arrival of the Probe and the unprecedented scientific data it collects contribute to strengthening the UAE’s position regionally and globally in the space sector. In addition, these achievements open up broad prospects for the development and prosperity of the national space sector aimed at boosting its contribution to the UAE’s GDP – as it is one of the most prominent sectors of the future economy based on innovation and knowledge,” he added.
Thus, Eng. Omran Sharaf, Director of the Emirates Mars Mission (Hope Probe), noted that the celebration of the first anniversary of the spacecraft’s successful arrival is the culmination of years of tireless and dedicated work by the Emirati project team together with our knowledge partners at the University of Boulder, Colorado. It reflects the UAE’s significant contribution to the scientific progress of humanity, as it provides unprecedented data about the Red Planet.
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