The Emirates Mission of Mars, known as the Hope Probe, reached the red planet Tuesday and successfully entered orbit on the first attempt.
“We hope that this mission will lead to new discoveries about Mars that will benefit humanity,” he said.
When the spacecraft arrived on Mars, the UAE was the only fifth country in history to reach the red planet – and the first for the Arab world.
The Hope Probe – equipped with three scientific instruments – will create the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere. The instruments will collect atmospheric data points, as well as measure seasonal and daily changes, which will help scientists understand what climate and weather dynamics are like in different layers of the Mars atmosphere. Experts also hope to find out more about how energy and particles – such as oxygen and hydrogen – move through the Martian atmosphere.
Hope will orbit the planet, Tianwen-1 will orbit the planet and it will land, and permanence will land on Mars.
All three missions were launched around the same time as a result of an alignment between Mars and Earth on the same side of the sun, making for a more efficient trip to the red planet.