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First Arab space mission to Mars launches from Japan
- The Hope probe is expected to reach Mars’ orbit in February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the UAE, an alliance of seven emirates
- Two other Mars missions are planned in the coming days by the US and China, but the UAE one will not land on the Red Planet
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The first Arab space mission to Mars, an unmanned probe dubbed “Hope”, blasted off from Japan on Monday on a mission to reveal more about the atmosphere of the Red Planet.
The Japanese rocket carrying the probe developed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan right on schedule at 6.58am local time.
The launch of the probe, known as “Al-Amal” in Arabic, had twice been delayed because of bad weather, but the Monday lift-off appeared smooth and successful.
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An hour later, a live feed showed people applauding in the Japanese control room as the probe successfully detached.
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First Arab space mission to Mars launches from Japan
First Arab space mission to Mars launches from Japan
In Dubai, the launch was met with rapturous excitement and blanket media coverage, with the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest skyscraper – lit up hours before lift-off with a symbolic 10-second countdown in anticipation.
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