UAE to become first Arab nation to launch of Mars probe

The United Arab Emirates plans to make history with the scheduled launch of the “Hope” mission, which will make it the first Arab nation to send a probe to Mars.

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A rocket carrying the unmanned spacecraft is due to take off from Japan’s remote Tanegashima Space Center at 5:51 am local time.

The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States.

The probe is expected to detach from the launch rocket about an hour after blast-off, which is when the UAE Mars mission’s deputy project manager Sarah al-Amiri said the real excitement will begin.

The UAE which is better known for its skyscrapers, palm-shaped islands and mega attractions has in recent years been pushing to expand its space sector.

The UAE also wants the project to serve as a source of inspiration for Arab youth, in a region too often wracked by sectarian conflicts and economic crises.

Dubai has hired architects to imagine what a Martian city might look like and recreate it in its desert as “Science City”, at a cost of around 500 million dirhams (135 million dollars).