The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is preparing a milestone venture to the Red Planet, propelling the country forward in exploration

The Hope probe will arrive in February 2021, a year which marks the 50th anniversary of the UAE’s formation

© Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

© Government of Dubai Media Office

THE SPECS

Launch: 14 July 2020 (UTC)

Arrival: February 2021

Target: Mars

Launch rocket: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket

Operators: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Planned mission duration: One Martian year (approximately two Earth years)

Height: 2.9 metres (9.5 feet)

Diameter: 2.4 metres (7.9 feet)

The United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) was established in 2014 and has evolved exponentially over the last six years. Fast forward to July 2020 and the agency is now preparing to launch its fourth satellite and its first spacecraft to another planet. This mission was dubbed the Emirates Mars Mission, and was later called the Hope Mars Mission. There are many monumental milestones sewed into this mission as the UAE looks to announce itself as a prominent presence within the space exploration industry and in future global scientific efforts.

The nation has been extremely driven in its post-oil economy, which has also been seen in the rapid growth of Dubai’s infrastructure. This is the same drive that is bringing its space agency along leaps and bounds. The country’s main space centre, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), was established in 2015, and it has since been the workshop for the Hope Mars Mission. This mission will become the first planetary science mission led by an Arab-Islamic country, which the UAE hopes will be the first step in a long and fruitful period of science and exploration. When Hope arrives at Mars in 2021, this event will also coincide with the golden jubilee - or 50th anniversary - of the founding of the UAE.