Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and Science Lead of the Emirates Mars Mission, says the UAE creates opportunities for its citizens before they even dream of them and says everyone should be inspired to work hard to reinforce the country’s leadership’s achievements.
Al Amiri was speaking about the UAE’s Hope Probe which will begin its historic mission to Mars at 00:51:27 after midnight UAE time on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 from the Tanegashima Space Station in Japan.
During a remote media interview held on Thursday, Al Amiri revealed that the probe’s scientific mission is expected to start in April 2021 and that the mission’s team currently works 12 hours per day.
The mission is a journey filled with challenges since its launch six years ago, as well as knowledge and learning, she added.
She thanked the UAE’s leadership on behalf of the probe’s team for giving them this unique opportunity and noted that they are all proud to be part of the project. Al Amiri went on to explain that the design of a satellite to explore Mars was not easy, and their challenges increased as they progressed in preparations.
Al Amiri also stressed that the mission’s land control station is currently testing control scenarios before the launch of the probe.
The Hope Probe, which is expected to reach Mars in February 2021, coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, is a national project that highlights the vision of the UAE’s leadership to establish an Emirati space programme. This will reflect the country’s commitment to promoting international cooperation and partnerships in finding solutions to global challenges for the well-being of humankind.
The Hope Probe will send a message of hope to the people of the world and aims to revive the rich Arab and Islamic history in the area of science, and also affirms the UAE’s ambition to defy the impossible and shape a bright future for humanity.
