The United Arab Emirates (UAE) created history by successfully launching its Mars spacecraft ‘Al Amal’ from a launch centre in Japan, marking the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. Al Amal, also known as Hope Probe, weighs 1.3 tons and was launched from the H-2A rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima spaceport at 1.58 am local time. Hope is an orbiter designed to spend one Martian year (two Earth years) looking at the Red planet’s atmosphere, studying how it eroded over time until Mars no longer was able to host liquid water on the surface.

Earlier, it was to be launched on July 15, but due to bad weather, the launch was postponed by five days. Within a couple of hours, it was confirmed that the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai had received and communicated the first signals with the Hope Probe. UAE president Sheikh Khalifa has praised the talented team who masterminded the landmark Mars mission. The country’s crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed said that the country saw a successful launch with pride and joy. ‘Amal’ is expected to hit Mars by February 2021, when UAE will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

What is the main objective of the Al Amal Mission?

It carries three instruments to study the upper atmosphere and plans to send back images of weather changes. It will also provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers when it reaches the Red planet’s orbit. It will also help answer questions related to the global Martian atmosphere and the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases into space over the span of one Martian year.

NASA helped in Hope Probe Mission

Close to 200 Emirati engineers and scientists spent six years working on the Arab world’s first spacecraft. Experts from NASA’s Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) helped create this satellite. UAE had earlier contacted NASA with the information it intended to acquire under this mission. The launch of the spacecraft was postponed twice before its eventual successful launch. NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine, also lauded UAE’s efforts. “Congrats to the team that worked on Hope Mars Mission”, Bridenstine tweeted.