United Arab Emirates Mars mission

[selvaarchi]

United Arab Emirates will be one of three countries with missions to Mars next month. The other two being the USA and China.

https://www.bloombergquint.com/busin...own-space-race

The Emirates didn’t even have a space agency yet, but it founded the UAESA in the summer of 2014, at the same time as it announced its intention to have a probe orbiting Mars by Dec. 2, 2021. The mission, Maktoum said, would herald a reprisal of the Arab world’s leading role in advancing human knowledge. Sharaf became the project manager and Amiri the science lead of a team of 200 Emirati academics and scientists. Their task was to build a craft, named Al Amal (“Hope”), that could study changes in the Martian atmosphere for at least two years. The deadline was already intimidatingly close. A mission so complex would normally take at least a decade to develop. Plus, the launch window during which Earth and Mars are most proximate comes only once every two years, and the journey required seven months, leaving several weeks beginning in mid-July 2020 as the only possible window.

[KaiYeves]

It has a nice write-up in the June Air & Space Smithsonian, as well.

[selvaarchi]

Could not find the thread dedicated to this mission to Mars. Al Amal is HOPE in English (HOPE mission)

http://tradearabia.com/news/IT_371901.html

The Hope probe, the Arab world’s first mission to another planet, has already travelled 100 million km into its journey to the Red Planet, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum shared two images from the Hope probe’s star-tracking camera and tweeted: “The Hope probe is officially 100 million km into its journey to the Red Planet. Mars, as demonstrated in the image captured by the probe’s Star Tracker, is ahead of us, leaving Saturn and Jupiter behind. The Hope probe is expected to arrive to Mars on February 2021.”

[7cscb]

This is good news and hopefully things go well as it will encourage others. In just a few years an increasing number of countries have started to participate in space exploration and exploitation. It bodes well for the future.

[selvaarchi]

"UAE’s Hope probe spots Mars for the very first time on its maiden voyage through space"

https://www.businessinsider.in/scien...w/77775267.cms

It’s been over a month since the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) maiden voyage into space, and it just caught its first-ever glimpse of the Red Planet — Mars.

[selvaarchi]

"Meet the scientist who is key to the UAE's Mars 2117 project"

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/tech...-homes-on-mars

A new research finding on radiation will support the UAE's ambitious project to build the first human settlement on Mars by 2117, a scientist has revealed.

"Radiation is one of the biggest roadblocks in planning long-term space missions, especially the project to establish a human presence on Mars [UAE’s Mars 2117 project]," said Dr Dimitra Atri, Research Scientist at Centre for Space Science in the New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD).

[Van Rijn]

Well, that’s admirable but they should set the date of the goal a bit earlier. In the article, they are clearly looking to promote STEM to advance science and technology by promoting this goal of an exciting future (a city on Mars). When I was young my favorite science fiction was about future prospects like that and hoping I would get to see or be involved in some of it. It was a key reason I developed an interest in science and technology. I firmly believe this sort of thing led a lot of people into STEM related careers. It feels to me there are a lot fewer exciting future goals being promoted these days and a lot of dreary science fiction being published. We need more exciting near to mid term goals.

Hopefully Starship will work out well. If so, I could see a lot of kids getting excited by that and Mars development happening in substantially less than a century.

[selvaarchi]

"The UAE's 1st Mars probe will reach the Red Planet on Feb. 9"

https://www.space.com/uae-mars-hope-...-to-red-planet

The United Arab Emirates' first mission to Mars will reach the Red Planet on Feb. 9, 2021, Emirates government officials said Sunday (Nov. 8).

The mission's Hope orbiter should arrive at Mars in the same year as the 50th anniversary of the country's formation, UAE officials said in a statement just after Hope successfully completed its third trajectory correction.

The Hope mission, added Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum in the same statement, "marks the beginning of another 50 years that will bring about major achievements based in the fields of science, knowledge and innovation." The UAE is using the mission as a spur to encourage science innovation among researchers and educators in the country, the release stated.

[Roger E. Moore]

The UAE’s ambitious Mars mission, the Hope probe, is all set to enter the most crucial phase of its mission — the Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI), officials announced Wednesday. The Hope probe is well on its way to enter the red planet’s orbit at 7.45pm UAE time on February 9, said Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and chair of the UAE Space Agency.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/ua...s-than-2-weeks

[Roger E. Moore]

CU-Boulder scientists help with Mars probe and mission. The United Arab Emirates’ Hope probe has nearly completed a seven-month journey, and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics played a big role. The probe has nearly completed a seven-month journey from the Japanese island of Tanegashima to the red planet and will begin maneuvering itself into orbit around the planet soon.

https://www.9news.com/article/tech/s...e-e5215fd00cbe

[Roger E. Moore]

The UAE's Hope mission is nearly to Mars, and scientists can't wait. The UAE launched Hope in July 2020, one of three missions taking advantage of an optimal window to head to the Red Planet, along with China's Tianwen-1 mission and NASA's Perseverance rover. Hope is an orbiter designed to study the atmosphere of Mars around the planet and from surface to space. The mission will conduct its Mars orbit insertion maneuver on Feb. 9 beginning at about 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT).

https://www.space.com/uae-mars-hope-...dy-for-arrival

[Roger E. Moore]

A more detailed desciption of HOPE's mission is in this CNN article.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/29/world...scn/index.html

[Roger E. Moore]

Hope Probe (Al Amal in Arabic), the first Arab interplanetary mission that was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre on July 20, 2020, is expected to reach the Red Planet’s atmosphere on February 9 at 7.42pm (local time). Its successful arrival to Mars will make the UAE only the fifth country or entity in the world to reach Mars, after the United States, former Soviet Union, China, India, and European Space Agency; and also the third country to make accomplish the feat on first attempt.

https://gulfnews.com/uae/science/hop...ion-1.76878228

[schlaugh]

Hope Probe (Al Amal in Arabic), the first Arab interplanetary mission that was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre on July 20, 2020, is expected to reach the Red Planet’s atmosphere on February 9 at 7.42pm (local time). Its successful arrival to Mars will make the UAE only the fifth country or entity in the world to reach Mars, after the United States, former Soviet Union, China, India, and European Space Agency; and also the third country to make accomplish the feat on first attempt.

https://gulfnews.com/uae/science/hop...ion-1.76878228

My bold. It may just be awkward wording (and I know that HOPE is intended study Mars' atmosphere) but do mission planners intend to reduce velocity and achieve orbital insertion with aerobraking? Or solely rely on thrusters? I looked around and can't find the entry details.

[Roger E. Moore]

My bold. It may just be awkward wording (and I know that HOPE is intended study Mars' atmosphere) but do mission planners intend to reduce velocity and achieve orbital insertion with aerobraking? Or solely rely on thrusters? I looked around and can't find the entry details.

From the CNN article above: "The Hope Probe is moving with such speed toward Mars that if it doesn't slow down appropriately upon arrival, the spacecraft will literally use Mars' gravity to slingshot it through deep space. Almost half of the spacecraft's fuel will be used to slow it down enough for the spacecraft to be captured by Mars' gravity and go into orbit. By firing its thrusters for 30 minutes before reaching Mars, it will slow down from a speed of more than 75,185 miles per hour to 11,184 miles per hour. "

[schlaugh]

Well I wouldn't rely on CNN for the most accurate technical descriptions, but it does seem it's just poor wording in the press release. So, no aerobraking.

[selvaarchi]

"UAE Hope Probe ‘already a success’ before reaching Mars"

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1801986/middle-east

After traversing hundreds of millions of kilometers, the UAE’s inaugural spacecraft — the Hope Probe — is just days away from reaching Mars, but the mission’s positive impact at home has already made it a success, the leadership behind the project has said.

Currently traveling through space at approximately 120,000 km per hour, the Hope Probe will enter the orbit of Mars on Feb. 9, making the UAE just the fifth nation ever to reach the red planet.

This is a “critically important milestone,” Omran Sharaf, project manager at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), said in a webinar held on Monday by the Emirates Society and attended by Arab News.
“But this project wasn’t just about reaching Mars. Science and data is extremely important and one of the main drivers of the mission, but there’s much more to it than that.”

[KaiYeves]

Hope and Perseverance— as Bill Nye pointed out in the last issue of The Planetary Report, what a meaningful pair for our times.

[selvaarchi]

"Hope prepares to enter orbit around Mars"

https://spacenews.com/hope-prepares-...t-around-mars/

As the United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft arrives at Mars, those involved with the mission have a mix of confidence and concern about the chances of successfully entering orbit.

The Emirates Mars Mission, or Hope, spacecraft will arrive at Mars Feb. 9, entering orbit at about 10:41 a.m. Eastern. The spacecraft will fire its main thrusters for 27 minutes to slow it down enough for the planet’s gravity to capture the spacecraft into orbit.

The maneuver is one of the most critical phases of the mission after its launch in July 2020. Failure to perform the maneuver as planned could prevent the spacecraft from entering orbit or even cause it to collide with the planet, as happened with NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter mission in 1999.

[selvaarchi]

In about 9 hours, Hope mission, will enter its half an hour of terror. Good luck Hope.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/ua...hour-of-terror

The Hope mission, UAE’s first interplanetary mission, is reaching the most crucial point in its mission today, and people around the world are waiting with high expectations.

[Roger E. Moore]

HOPE made it! Arab spacecraft enters orbit around Mars in historic flight. Ground controllers at the UAE’s space center in Dubai rose to their feet and broke into applause when word came that the craft, called Amal, Arabic for Hope, had reached the end of its seven-month, 300-million-mile journey and had begun circling the red planet, where it will gather detailed data on Mars’ atmosphere.

https://apnews.com/article/uae-space...f86f91ce89fb8b

[selvaarchi]

HOPE made it! Arab spacecraft enters orbit around Mars in historic flight. Ground controllers at the UAE’s space center in Dubai rose to their feet and broke into applause when word came that the craft, called Amal, Arabic for Hope, had reached the end of its seven-month, 300-million-mile journey and had begun circling the red planet, where it will gather detailed data on Mars’ atmosphere.

https://apnews.com/article/uae-space...f86f91ce89fb8b

Congratulations UAE. Very well done

[bknight]

Good for them.

[cannongray]

oh cool!! Does it park next to the last 2 mars rovers that are still taking pictures there??

[publiusr]

They have enough oil money to design their own rocket. A scaled down Starship tail-sitter rocket that uses jet engines to land is something they should fund. Ramjet on ascent-smaller kero tank for jet-only landings. That keeps sloshing down and lessen abuse on the rocket engines themselves. Once upright after the flip-THEN light the rocket once the propellants are seated.

[KaiYeves]

Hurray for Hope!

[Garrison]

They have enough oil money to design their own rocket. A scaled down Starship tail-sitter rocket that uses jet engines to land is something they should fund. Ramjet on ascent-smaller kero tank for jet-only landings. That keeps sloshing down and lessen abuse on the rocket engines themselves. Once upright after the flip-THEN light the rocket once the propellants are seated.

The UAE is currently planning an experimental biodome designed to test technologies for a Mars colony, so it appears they are seriously embracing Mars to help develop STEM capabilities.

[publiusr]

Some wanted to use their sand for lavish off shore resort islands-but it was the wrong kind...seabed sand was used in the end. Maybe glass for the domes wil need such purity as well.

[PetersCreek]

They have enough oil money to design their own rocket

And you've had many warnings to stay on topic. Infraction issued.

[selvaarchi]

"UAE's 'Hope' probe sends home first image of Mars"

https://www.marsdaily.com/reports/UA..._Mars_999.html

The UAE's "Hope" probe sent back its first image of Mars, the national space agency said Sunday, days after the spacecraft successfully entered the Red Planet's orbit.

The picture "captured the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, emerging into the early morning sunlight," it said in a statement.

The image was taken from an altitude of 24,700 kilometres (15,300 miles) above the Martian surface on Wednesday, a day after the probe entered Mars' orbit, it said in a statement.