On Monday, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched its historic first mission to Mars.
The first Arab mission to Mars is a part of the UAE’s plan to advance its scientific and technological capabilities in order to decrease its dependency on oil.
The Hope Probe took off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center for a seven-month journey to Mars.
The probe will orbit and send back data about the Martian atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes.
The mission to Mars was initially planned to launch on July 14 but was delayed twice because of bad weather.
The Emirates Mars Mission was first announced in 2014, after which UAE launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to evolve local expertise.
To establish and construct the Hope Probe, Emiratis and Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) worked with educational institutions belonging to United States.
According to Sarah Amiri, Minister for Advanced Sciences, The UAE Mars Mission has cost $200 million.
Currently, there are eight active probes that have landed or are still orbiting Mars for exploration and research purposes.
China and the United States each plan to send another mission to Mars this year.