MEXICO: The Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum described his country’s mission to Mars as “the hope of the Arab world”.
The UAE announced plans for the mission last year.
It involves sending a probe to orbit the Martian planet.
The probe will launch in July 2020 with the aim for it to arrive by 2021 to coincide with the UAE’s 50th year.
The probe would be called Al Amal, which is Arabic for ‘hope’.
Officials have not said how much it will cost.
The lead engineer, Sarah Amiri, spoke at an event at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, saying the project will help to diversify the UAE’s economy, which is largely dependent on oil.
Emirati scientists hope the unmanned probe will provide a deeper understanding of the Martian atmosphere, and expect it to remain in orbit until at least 2023.
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