Out of this world: Why the UAE’s mission to Mars is a geopolitical triumph

Out of this world: Why the UAE’s mission to Mars is a geopolitical triumph

After a voyage of seven month and 300 million miles, the spacecraft,  Hope, has reached its destination to offer an insight into what would be needed to have life on Mars and provide vital information about the current state of the Red Planet. During its 687 days in orbit, a year in Martian terms, the mission from the UAE will chart the changing atmosphere and weather pattern through four seasons, and levels of hydrogen and oxygen and send back a steady stream of data and imagery. The successful flight of the spacecraft -- Al Amal in Arabic – has been hailed by the Emiratis as a great scientific achievement. Missions to Mars have just 50 per cent chance of success.  But it is also seen as a major geopolitical triumph.  The spacecraft has arrived off Mars before a Chinese and an American mission which are also heading to the planet in what is seen as a new unfolding space race. The mission is also to be an interplanetary extension of the Gulf state's desire to punch above its weight in the international arena; an ambitious and combative foreign policy which has seen it getting involved in conflicts in Yemen, Libya and Syria. Mohammed