Emirates Mars Mission: Arab Spacecraft Enters Orbit Around Mars

United Arab Emirates spacecraft called Amal Arabic for Hope swung into orbit around Mars on Tuesday. A triumph for the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. This makes the fifth spacefaring entity to do so after the US, the Soviet Union, Europe and India. UAE scientists can now look forward to studying the planet’s atmosphere.

The news was shared by the mission controllers at the UAE’s space centre in Dubai. They announced that the unmanned craft has reached the end of the seven-month journey and began circling the red planet.

Omran Sharaf, the mission’s director, declared, “To the people of the UAE and Arab and Islamic nations, we announce the success of the UAE reaching Mars. Mars orbit insertion was the most critical and dangerous part of our journey to Mars, exposing the Hope probe to stresses and pressures it has never before faced. With this enormous milestone achieved, we are now preparing to transition to our science orbit and commence science data gathering.”

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa lit up with faces of engineers who worked on #HopeProbe over the past six years.

World’s tallest building @BurjKhalifa just lit up with faces of engineers who worked on #HopeProbe over the past six years #ArabstoMars @TheNationalNews pic.twitter.com/FfBfTfRJEK

— Sarwat Nasir (@SarwatNasir) February 9, 2021

Hope is leading a wave of missions to Mars this February. Two more unmanned spacecraft from the US and China are following close behind. On Wednesday, it will be the turn of China’s Tianwen-1 orbiter. On 18 February, it will be the turn of America’s other big rover.

Also Read: NASA launches foldable heat shield, could open door to manned Mars mission