First Arabian space mission to Mars launches from Japan
Source: AFP Published: 2020/7/20 19:13:40
The first Arab space mission to Mars, an unmanned probe dubbed Hope, blasted off from Japan on Monday, in a bid to reveal more about the atmosphere of the Red Planet.
The launch of the probe, known as Al-Amal in Arabic, had twice been delayed because of bad weather, but the Monday liftoff appeared smooth and successful.
Almost exactly one hour later, a live feed showed people applauding in the Japanese control room as the probe successfully detached.
"The launch vehicle trajectory was executed as planned and separation of the Hope spacecraft was confirmed," rocket manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said.
In Dubai, the launch was met with rapturous excitement, with the Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest skyscraper - lit up hours before liftoff with a symbolic 10-second countdown in anticipation.
"This mission is an important milestone for the UAE and the region," said Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, director of the UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, at a postlaunch press conference in Japan.
"It has already inspired millions of youth regionally to dream big and work hard to achieve what seems to be impossible," he said.
The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the US, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest.
In October, Mars will be a comparatively close 62.07 million kilometers from Earth, according to NASA.
Hope is expected to enter Mars orbit by February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE, an alliance of seven emirates.
Unlike the two other Mars ventures scheduled for 2020, it will not land on the Red Planet, but instead orbit it for a whole Martian year, or 687 days.
While the objective of the UAE's mission is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal - building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.
Dubai has hired architects to imagine what a Martian city might look like and build it in its desert as "Science City," at a cost of around $135 million. The UAE also wants the project to serve as a source of inspiration for Arab youth.
On Twitter, the UAE's government declared the probe launch a "message of pride, hope and peace to the Arab region, in which we renew the golden age of Arab and Islamic discoveries."
The Hope probe will offer a special perspective on Mars.
Newspaper headline: ‘Hope’ rockets toward Red Planet
Illustration of a view over the rim of a small crater, about one kilometer across on Mars Illustration: AFP
The Japanese rocket carrying the probe developed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan right on schedule at 6:58 am local time (2158 GMT Sunday).The launch of the probe, known as Al-Amal in Arabic, had twice been delayed because of bad weather, but the Monday liftoff appeared smooth and successful.
Almost exactly one hour later, a live feed showed people applauding in the Japanese control room as the probe successfully detached.
"The launch vehicle trajectory was executed as planned and separation of the Hope spacecraft was confirmed," rocket manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said.
In Dubai, the launch was met with rapturous excitement, with the Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest skyscraper - lit up hours before liftoff with a symbolic 10-second countdown in anticipation.
"This mission is an important milestone for the UAE and the region," said Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, director of the UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, at a postlaunch press conference in Japan.
"It has already inspired millions of youth regionally to dream big and work hard to achieve what seems to be impossible," he said.
The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the US, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest.
In October, Mars will be a comparatively close 62.07 million kilometers from Earth, according to NASA.
Hope is expected to enter Mars orbit by February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE, an alliance of seven emirates.
Unlike the two other Mars ventures scheduled for 2020, it will not land on the Red Planet, but instead orbit it for a whole Martian year, or 687 days.
While the objective of the UAE's mission is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal - building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.
Dubai has hired architects to imagine what a Martian city might look like and build it in its desert as "Science City," at a cost of around $135 million. The UAE also wants the project to serve as a source of inspiration for Arab youth.
On Twitter, the UAE's government declared the probe launch a "message of pride, hope and peace to the Arab region, in which we renew the golden age of Arab and Islamic discoveries."
The Hope probe will offer a special perspective on Mars.
Newspaper headline: ‘Hope’ rockets toward Red Planet
Posted in: MID-EAST,ASIA-PACIFIC