The Emirates Mars Project (EMM), the first Arab interplanetary mission, marks the one-year anniversary of its successful entry into Mars’ orbit and the collection of a unique trove of Mars data by the Hope Probe on February 9th. One year later, the autonomous spacecraft has accomplished significant milestones as part of its mission to learn more about Mars.
After a 493 million kilometer, seven-month trip through space, the Hope Probe successfully reached Mars’ orbit at 19:42 on February 9, 2021, completing one of the most complicated and involved aspects of its mission. The arrival of the probe was a historic achievement for the UAE and the Arab world, and it resulted in unique and challenging observations of Mars that have not only confounded our understanding of the planet, but have also added immeasurably to our understanding of Mars’ complex and fascinating atmospheric dynamics.
Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency, Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, said: “Tuesday, February 9, 2021, will go down in history as a watershed moment for the UAE, marking a once-in-a-lifetime achievement for our young nation. The Hope Probe is an inspiring success story for UAE and Arab youth in general, and it is the result of a multinational effort to drive the development of our space sector, contribute to our growing space sector, and bring new insights into our human understanding of our nearest planetary neighbor – Mars.”