KhalifaSat, Emirates Mars Mission Spacecraft Hit Milestones

The final designs of the Hope Probe, the Arab World’s first interplanetary mission were unveiled today at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Details of the much-discussed Mars 2117 plan, which aims to create the first human settlement on Mars, and UAE’s astronaut programme, which will train Emiratis in space exploration, were also discussed. The MSRBC also released plans of the ‘KhalifaSat’ its third and UAE’s first completely indigenously built-satellite.

“The Arab world has a long-standing history with space studies and astronomy, with many early pioneers in the field. This rich heritage continues to power our future through our numerous space exploration endeavours, which will establish a lasting legacy for future generations of Emiratis as well as providing inspiration for the region. We are proud to see the UAE among the top nine countries worldwide for space science investments. As relative newcomers to the global space sector, this success is indicative of our consistent efforts to push boundaries and further establish the UAE as the heart of an Arab scientific future,” Commenting at the summit, H.E. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center said.

The Hope Mars mission aims to provide a holistic study of the Martian atmosphere on a diurnal and seasonal timescale to identify the main factors of the escape of hydrogen and Oxygen the building blocks of water. It is a three-meter tall probe with 600 KW solar panels and will embark soon, on its 55-million-kilometer journey to the Red Planet. Other key features of the interplanetary probe include state-of-the-art spectrometers and imagers that will capture crucial information on the Martian atmosphere and climate.

“The Mars 2117 programme and the Hope Mars Probe are projects of great importance, as they further boost the UAE’s presence among the international space community. The Emirates Mars Mission will give us the first truly global picture of the Martian atmosphere and reflect the country’s vision for science and technology fields development. With these projects, we have begun a new journey that will last for decades to come and will speed up human endeavours to explore other planets.” Omran Sharaf, Project Manager of Emirates Mars Mission commented.