The first Arab space mission to Mars, an unmanned probe dubbed “Hope”, blasted off from Japan on Monday on a mission to reveal more about the atmosphere of the Red Planet.
The Japanese rocket carrying the probe developed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan right on schedule at 6:58 am local time (2158 GMT Sunday).
The launch of the probe, known as “Al-Amal” in Arabic, had twice been delayed because of bad weather, but the Monday liftoff appeared smooth and successful.
An hour later, a live feed showed people applauding in the Japanese control room as the probe successfully detached.
Emirati man wipes tears away from his face with a face mask watching the launch of the Hope space probe @Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. AFP
“We watched the successful launch of the Hope probe to Mars with pride and joy, as we embark on a new chapter in space, led by our exceptional youth,” Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said on Monday.
In Dubai, the launch was met with rapturous excitement and blanket media coverage, with the Burj Khalifa — the world’s tallest skyscraper — lit up hours before liftoff with a symbolic 10-second countdown in anticipation.
The first Arab space mission to Mars, an unmanned probe dubbed “Hope”, blasted off from Japan on Monday on a mission to reveal more about the atmosphere of the Red Planet.
“We proudly announce the successful launch of the Hope probe,” Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum said in a tweet.
“The ground control station in Dubai has received the first signal from the probe after its solar panels were successfully deployed to charge its batteries. Our 493 million km journey to the Red Planet starts here.”
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said the country watched the launch with “pride and joy” as the nation embarked on a “new chapter in space”.
The Japanese rocket carrying the probe developed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan right on schedule at 6:58 am local time (2158 GMT Sunday).
The launch of the probe, known as “Al-Amal” in Arabic, had twice been delayed because of bad weather, but the Monday liftoff appeared smooth and successful.
