UAE’s Hope Probe Shoots Back its 1st Image of Mars

UAE’s Hope Probe :

Even though Mars is the dream destination of every space agency only a few have made it to reach the red planet.

And the United Arab Emirates is the latest addition to the small list of the very few countries that have reached Mars.

UAE’s Hope Probe under “Emirates Mars Mission” launched on 20th July 2020, 12:05 am (Dubai Time) from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan cruised the span of 493.5 million kilometers and reached the red planet’s orbit on 9th February 2021.

This massive accomplishment has made UAE the first Arab nation ever to establish its presence through scientific technology out of the earth on another celestial object.

Also read: NASA’s Mole on Mars is Dead: InSight Mission…

What is the mission of ‘Hope Probe’?

According to the UAE Space Agency, the mission is to understand the dynamics of the red planet’s climate and its weather map by characterizing the lower atmosphere using Hope Probe’s sophisticated scientific instruments onboard.

> To understand how Mars’ weather impacts the escape of Hydrogen and Oxygen.
> To study the cause of why the red planet is losing Hydrogen and Oxygen to space and what happened to once-abundant water.

Also read: Farming on Mars: Is it Really Possible?

The first picture taken by Hope Probe…

Image credit: United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA)

The 1st image by Hope Probe was taken a day after its insertion in a wide orbit at an altitude of 24,700 km (15,350 miles) from Mars’s surface.

In this extraordinary image, you can see the north pole at the top, the 3 shield volcanoes namely Ascreus Mons, Povonis Mons, and Arsia Mons. The largest volcano in the solar system – Olympus Mons is situated on the edge of the dark side. And the red planet’s canyon system – Valles Marineris.

“The transmission of the Hope Probe’s first image of Mars is a defining moment in our history and marks the UAE joining advanced nations involved in space exploration, we hope this mission will lead to new discoveries about Mars which benefit humanity,” the UAE Space Agency’s Twitter account stated.

Hope Probe weighs 1,350 kg including the fuel. It is 3mx7.9m in dimensions including 600-watt solar panels. Hope Probe is now orbiting Mars at an altitude of 29,000 km at 87,600 km speed.

You can track the Hope Probe right here…

The mission duration is expected to last for one Martian year (about 2 earth years).