United Arab Emirates launches mission to Mars
Context:
- UAE sent its first mars mission (even first among the Arab nations) an unmanned probe called Al-Amal, or Hope from coast of Japan.
Trajectory:
- The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest.
- In October, Mars will be comparatively short 38.6m miles (62m km) from Earth, according to NASA.
- Hope is expected to reach Mars's orbit by February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE, an alliance of seven emirates.
- Unlike the two other Mars ventures scheduled for this year, it will not land on the planet, but instead orbit it for a whole Martian year, or 687 days.
Objective of Hope:
- Provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in the red planet's atmosphere.
- Foundation for a much bigger goal -- building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.
- Serve as a source of inspiration for Arab youth.
- The UAE's government declared the probe launch a "message of pride, hope and peace to the Arab region, in which we renew the golden age of Arab and Islamic discoveries.
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