As the UAE Hope Probe is set to arrive next week, UAE leaders His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met to discuss the nation’s success ahead of the historic event.
After the meeting on Monday, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed shared an update on the Hope Probe, as well as the UAE’s development in space and science.
“My brother Mohammed bin Rashid and I discussed our national achievements, particularly in space and science, and our pride in the nation’s youth,” he said on Twitter.
My brother Mohammed bin Rashid and I discussed our national achievements, particularly in space and science, and our pride in the nation’s youth. We learned from Sarah Al-Amiri about the progress of the Hope probe as it nears Mars. We wish you all success on this historic journey pic.twitter.com/28k11MK1tC
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) February 1, 2021
He also added that Sarah Al-Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and Science Lead of the Emirates Mars Mission, gave the UAE leaders an update on the progress of the historic mission.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Ruler of Dubai, also shared a message on Twitter, confirming the Hope Probe is set to reach Mars on February 9, 2021.
“It is a historic event that our country will celebrate, as it marks 50 years since the establishment of the UAE and its golden jubilee,” he explained.
“We are 9 days away from the arrival of UAE’s Hope probe to Mars in the first Arab interplanetary mission.
We are 9 days away from the arrival of UAE’s Hope probe to Mars in the first Arab interplanetary mission. The UAE will be the 5th nation to reach the Red Planet. The probe has a 50% success rate in entering Mars’ orbit, but we achieved 90% of our goals in building new knowledge.
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) February 1, 2021
“The UAE will be the 5th nation to reach the Red Planet. The probe has a 50% success rate in entering Mars’ orbit, but we achieved 90% of our goals in building new knowledge.”
What is the Hope Probe?
At the beginning of 2020 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed signed the remaining outer piece for the probe which will launch into space.
The probe is being spearheaded by the UAE in order to gain a full picture on what the atmosphere of Mars is like. It is expected the Hope Probe will take an estimated 200 days to arrive on Mars. Once the probe reaches the planet in 2021, data will be collected over a two-year period, but this could be extended by another two years meaning the Hope Probe has the potential to be in space until 2025.
