To Mars and Beyond: UAE to be First Arab Country to Explore Space!

To Mars and Beyond: UAE to be First Arab Country to Explore Space!

Published July 14th, 2020 - 10:30 GMT











Highlights





Launch of the Emirati orbiting satellite, named Hope, is planned at 4:51 p.m. EDT from Tanegashima Space Center, about 450 miles south of Hiroshima, aboard a Japanese H-2A rocket.







The first of three planned missions to Mars this summer is scheduled to lift off from Japan on Tuesday, representing a historic first attempt for the United Arab Emirates to reach the Red Planet.

Launch of the Emirati orbiting satellite, named Hope, is planned at 4:51 p.m. EDT from Tanegashima Space Center, about 450 miles south of Hiroshima, aboard a Japanese H-2A rocket.

The launch is to be followed by a Chinese Tianwen-1 Mars mission planned for July 23, and then NASA's Mars Perseverance rover no earlier than July 30.

Assembly of the Hope satellite in Dubai -- with help from the University of Colorado -- already has created an enthusiasm for space within the UAE, said Sarah bint Yousif Al-Amiri, chair of the nation's Council of Scientists.

"We see more and more children dreaming about space and getting excited about it. We see more interest in space science," Al-Amiri said.

The mission is the first attempt by any Arab country