Today's Edition
AMNA AL KETBI (DUBAI)
The Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe project has achieved unprecedented accomplishments. The project is scheduled to be extended for an additional year, subject to the status of the probe’s vehicle.
The project has studied Mars’ atmosphere and the relationship between its upper and lower layers. The data collected by scientists, researchers, and space enthusiasts contribute to providing a comprehensive view of Mars’ atmosphere at different times and throughout its various seasons, significantly deepening our understanding of Martian polar regions.
The probe has completed 1375 days since its launch towards the Red Planet. The probe orbits in an elliptical orbit ranging from 20,000 to 43,000 kilometres, with a 25-degree inclination towards Mars. It completes one orbit around the planet every 55 hours, recording a comprehensive set of data as part of its mission to map the Martian atmosphere.
The unique orbit of the probe supports these unprecedented explorations, providing a complete picture of the planet’s atmospheric dynamics every nine days. This allows for stunning images of Mars’ atmospheric changes day and night, across seasons, and throughout a complete Martian year.
The project has released its tenth batch of scientific data, including 4.1 terabytes of data and scientific observations of the Red Planet. These were captured by the Emirates Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) on July 16 from the depths of the night side when the probe had a very close view of the “new Mars”, resembling the new Moon, with scientific instruments angled no more than 28 degrees from the Sun.
The probe has three main scientific objectives: understanding the lower atmospheric factors, the loss of the upper atmosphere, and the link between the two. These objectives will help uncover the secrets of the Martian atmosphere and how it loses its atmosphere into space.
The scientific images and data published by the probe will continue after the extension of the project. Its data will be added to the list of accomplishments presented by the project to the international scientific community, contributing to the publication of dozens of scientific and research papers in prestigious international scientific journals, supporting studies by researchers and scientists worldwide, and enhancing the growth of research conducted by Emirati students, scientists, and researchers.
The rich images and data are collected through the Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS), EMUS, and the Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI) provide valuable views for scientists to understand various weather factors on Mars and their impact on its climate and environment.
The probe weighs approximately 1350 kilogrammes, equivalent to a small SUV, and was designed and developed by engineers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in collaboration with academic partners, including the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder, the University of Arizona, and the University of California in Berkeley.
