Hope Probe is the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere.

At the end of July, the time had come: the launch of the long-awaited United Arab Emirates march probe. Hope Probe was the first in line to take to the skies. Because in over a period of only three weeks, three separate parties sent a spacecraft to Mars. More than six months have passed since then. And if all goes well, the United Arab Emirates’ Mars probe will arrive at the red planet tomorrow.

Launch
The launch of Hope Probe took place on July 20, 2020 from the Japanese island of Tanegashima. The probe was launched into the air with the aid of a Japanese H-IIA missile. About an hour and a half after the successful launch, the probe unfolded its solar panels and was officially on its way to Mars. A long journey of about 493.5 million kilometers was ahead. Now Hope Probe is only about 220,000 kilometers from the red planet. And as Hope Probe makes its final miles, the researchers eagerly await the moment of arrival.

Hope Probe
Expectations are high. Because Hope Probe is the very first interplanetary mission undertaken by the United Arab Emirates. Previous experiences in space travel were limited to the construction and launch of two satellites designed to study the Earth. Hope Probe also goes down in the books as the very first Arabian Mars probe. And with that, the United Arab Emirates has quite a few firsts. Hope Probe’s mission should last about one Martian year – or nearly two Earth years.

The Hope Probe probe from the United Arab Emirates. Image: Emirates Mars Mission

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Target
What exactly is Hope Probe going to do? It is intended to be the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere. The thin atmosphere of Mars consists of many layers, of which we still don’t know the details. And so Hope Probe will nestle in orbit around the red planet and investigate the Martian atmosphere as well as the climate on Mars. With help from Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS for short) Hope Probe will conduct research into the interaction between the upper and lower layers of the atmosphere. It is hoped that it will provide more insight into exactly how atmospheric gases escape from that atmosphere. Knowing that may also help us understand how Mars transformed from a warm and wet planet with a thick atmosphere to a cold and dry planet with a thin atmosphere.

Camera
More instruments, including a camera, can be found on board the Arabian Mars Orbiter. With this Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI for short) very sharp photos can be taken and one hopes to get a better picture of the water, ice and dust that can be found in the atmosphere of Mars.

As mentioned, Hope Probe is not the only vessel currently heading for Mars. Also the Chinese in the Americans are on their way to the red planet with a probe. It is of course no coincidence that all three missions started almost simultaneously. It has everything to do with the position of Mars in relation to the Earth. Mars is a bit further away from the sun and has an orbital period almost twice as long as our planet. It means that the distance between the Earth and Mars varies: one moment the Earth walks away from Mars, the next it approaches it again. Once every two years the distance between the two celestial bodies is the smallest and that is the ideal time to undertake a mission to Mars. After all, spacecraft can reach the red planet relatively quickly – and with relatively little fuel. It means that the Chinese and Americans will also arrive at their final destination sometime in the coming weeks. The expected arrival of NASA’s promising Perseverance rover is scheduled for February 18, 2021.

Why Mars is so popular? The red planet has actually captured the imagination of humans for centuries. Now, however, we are at an important point where we know a lot about the planet and also have the vision and technology to further explore this world. Mars is an obvious target for exploration for many reasons. Not only in our quest for alien life, but also in our ambitious plan to one day expand human civilization into other planets. So Mars actually serves as a long-term and collaborative project for all of humanity. And the upcoming Mars missions will provide us with important insights into this hugely interesting planet.