Mars probe: 27 minutes of fear and hope will determine whether the UAE becomes first Arab country to reach the red planet

Mars probe: 27 minutes of fear and hope will determine whether the UAE becomes first Arab country to reach the red planet

The operation must be executed with flawless precision, and the stakes are high “” the current time period during which Earth is closest to the red planet only occurs once every two years.

This will use up almost half of its fuel, enabling it to be caught by Mars' gravitational pull and enter into its orbit. There will then be a roughly 11-minute communication delay back to Earth as the scientists and engineers involved in the project “” which include some 200 Emiratis “” wait in tense anticipation to find out whether the mission was a success. 

On Tuesday evening at 7:42 p.m. local time, the Emirates mars mission, named the Hope probe, is expected to reach the red planet and send a signal back to Earth.That is, of course, if it succeeds “” experts estimate the current chance of a successful Mars orbit insertion at about 50%, as more than half of all Mars missions actually fail. The crucial time window is a terrifying and suspenseful 27 minutes during which the Hope probe has to dramatically slow down from its speed of 100,000 kilometers per hour (62,137 miles per hour) to 18,000 kph by firing its six thrusters for 27 minutes