UAE's Hope Probe: Everything you need to know

As the UAE gears up for the historic launch of the Hope Probe on July 15, we've put together everything you need to know about the Emirates Mars Mission.

• The mission was announced in 2014 following a feasibility study in 2013
• It is the first uncrewed, interplanetary satellite spearheaded by the UAE
• The Probe's name is "Al-Amal" - Arabic for "hope" - sending a message of optimism to millions of young Arabs
• The team of Emirati youth includes 150 engineers and researchers
• Women make up 34 per cent of the team
• The control room is located in Al Khawaneej
• A team of Emirati cadres are at the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan ahead of the launch on July 15 at 00:51:27 UAE time
• The countdown will be in Arabic for the first time in history
• The launch window will run between July 15 and August 3 based on scientific calculations of the Earth and Mars orbit
• The Probe will be propelled into space at a speed of 39,600 kmph when it blasts of
• It consists of a compact, hexagonal-section spacecraft, built from aluminium and weighs approximately 1,500 kg and measures 2.37 metres wide and 2.9 metres tall.
• About an hour after the launch, the Probe will separate from the launch rocket and begin the seven-month journey towards the Red Planet using a propulsion system
• The Hope Probe is anticipated to enter Mars orbit in February 2021, coinciding with the UAE's Golden Jubilee celebrations to mark the historic union of the Emirates
• It will provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its relationship to atmospheric erosion 
• The cost of the probe is estimated at $200 million

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