Our Correspondent
The cost of the Hope Mars Mission is among the lowest in the world at US$ 200 million compared with similar programmes, said UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi.
At a media briefing in Dubai on June 7, Al Gergawi elaborated the achievements of the Emirates Mars Mission team. This includes development of 200 new designs, manufacturing of 66 pieces of the probe components in the UAE, publishing 51 research papers on the project, and benefitting over 60,000 participants through EMM’s scientific and academic programmes.
“Today, the mission reached another milestone, when the spacecraft was positioned on to the rocket that will send it into space,” he said. “Commitment to deadlines is an approach that the UAE is following in all its plans and projects.”
The Mission’s success, Al Gergawi said, is in line with the UAE’s success in containing the coronavirus.
The Hope Probe is set to lift off on July 15 at 00:51:27 UAE time from the Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan. The probe is anticipated to enter the Mars orbit in February 2021, coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.
