The UAE Mars Mission

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i24NEWS DESK | 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 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 6:58 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 Al-Shaibani, director of the UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, at a post-launch 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 United States, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest.


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." 


Several dozen probes -- most of them American -- have set off for the Red Planet since the 1960s. Many never made it that far or failed to land.


The drive to explore Mars flagged until the confirmation less than 10 years ago that water once flowed on its surface.


The UAE already has nine functioning satellites in Earth's orbit, with plans to launch another eight in the coming years. And in September, it sent the first Emirati into space on a mission to the International Space Station.