Hope Probe: Mission Accomplished and The UAE Made History

The UAE made history last night as the Hope Probe reached Mars’ orbit after a seven-month journey making it the first Arab country to reach the Red planet.

The Hope Probe entered Mars’ at 8.13pm on February 9, 2021.

Previously, four countries have reached Mars while only two were successful from to the first attempt, and the UAE is in now the fifth in the world.

We are 9 days away from the arrival of UAE's Hope probe to Mars in the first Arab interplanetary mission. The UAE will be the 5th nation to reach the Red Planet. The probe has a 50% success rate in entering Mars' orbit, but we achieved 90% of our goals in building new knowledge.

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) February 1, 2021

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said there was “a 50 per cent success rate; though the failure rate is 50 per cent” of the probe entering Mars’ orbit.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa said, President of the UAE said “This historic achievement would not have been possible without the persistence and determination to implement the idea that emerged at the end of 2013 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who followed it up closely until its success.”

Sheikh Mohammed also posted a pivotal, but simple phrase on Twitter upon the probe’s success: “Mission accomplished.

تمت المهمة بنجاح

Mission Accomplished #العرب_إلى_المريخ pic.twitter.com/BxPQiJM0Sq

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) February 9, 2021

In Addition, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces said “The entry of the Hope Probe into the orbit of Mars is a significant accomplishment in our nation’s history,” he said. “This achievement was made possible by the Emirati pioneers whose work will inspire future scientists and engineers for generations. We are immensely proud of them.”

After launching from Tanegashima Island in Japan in July 2020, the Hope Probe travelled 493.5 kilometres to the Red Planet.

Image Source: Instagram