The United Arab Emirates entered history with an unprecedented space achievement at the level of the Arab world, which is achieved at dawn today with the successful launch of the “Hope Probe” within the Emirates Mars Exploration Project, from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, to be the first space mission to explore the planets led by an Arab country.
Hope Probe UAE historic mission
The Hope probe successfully detached from the launch missile, and the first signal from the probe was received at the Al Khawaneej Control Center. The probe also received the first order from the Al Khawaneej ground control station to open olfactory panels, operate space navigation systems and launch missile propulsion systems, effectively marking the start of the probe’s journey to the Red Planet, which is expected to last seven months, travelling through a distance of 493 million km, before entering into its orbit. About Mars in the first quarter of the year 2021, coinciding with the UAE’s celebration of the Golden Jubilee of its founding.
The successful launch of the Hope Probe took place at dawn today, July 20 at 01:58 am Emirates time, after the countdown was repeated, in the last ten seconds before the launch, from the Arabic Language Control Center for the first time in the history of missions and space missions, to reach the echo of the Arabic numerals in the whole world.
The UAE enters history with an unprecedented space achievement in the Arab world
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God preserve him, said: “The UAE is entering history with an unprecedented Arab space achievement.” He pointed out his highness: “The bet on the UAE youth does not disappoint… they raised the head of the UAE people and entered a stage New in our history. ”
His Highness added: “The journey has begun … and the mission is at its beginning … and the next stop is the Red Planet.”
For his part, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, stressed that the UAE established itself as one of the makers of the future and anticipated its challenges, adding, His Highness: “I congratulate the people of the Emirates on this historic achievement .. Our global position is becoming more established And strength thanks to the sons of the homeland. ”
His Highness said, “The success of the launch towards Mars culminates in five decades of accomplishments made by the UAE in various fields … indicating that our homeland reaps today what the founding fathers planted in investing and empowering the Emirati cadres with whom we compete with the world.”
His Highness concluded: “The UAE is winning the bet … and its people are proving their ability to achieve the impossible … and the next one, God willing, is better.”
Hope Probe mission begins
The Emirati “Hope Probe” carried the H2A launch missile from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which weighs 289 tons and is 53 meters long. In the first stage of the launch, the solid fuel propellant raised the missile after detaching from the launch pad, before this part automatically separated after completing its mission with a reduced gravitational effect and the missile’s exit from Earth’s orbit. With the separation of this part, the weight of the Hope Probe rocket decreased, to begin a period of zero gravity, and then the second part of the launch rocket was separated, to start the second stage until the Hope Probe reached its correct orbit around Mars, loaded on the third part of the launch missile.
The Hope Probe was successfully launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 01:58 am today, as the probe separated from the launching rocket after less than an hour, specifically at 02:55 am so that the probe will operate automatically, and open the solar panels at 03:00: 00 am before the panels are cocked with the probe toward the sun.
UAE has succeeded in building high calibre space technology
The first broadcast signal from the Hope Probe was recorded at 03:10 am Emirates time after the probe turned on its broadcast device, and then the Al Khawaneej Control Center began receiving the first data that the probe sent about an hour after the launch, and the work team at the centre analyzed This data is preliminary to confirm the state of the Hope Probe and the position of the solar panels, and whether they have opened correctly completely, as well as verify that the probe is correctly aimed towards the sun.
The initial analysis of the data received from the Hope Probe took about half an hour, and accordingly, orders were sent to the Hope Probe from the control centre, according to which the probe actually moved to the operations stage.
The Al Khawaneej Control Center team monitored the processes, data and coordinates of the probe’s condition to ensure that the main Hope Probe operation system is sound, as well as verify the integrity of subsystems and scientific devices.
The control centre will be in contact with the probe for a continuous 24 hours, during which orders are sent to him and data is received from him, and the continuous monitoring and monitoring process will continue from one to two weeks, in the beginning, to ensure that the Hope Probe is performing its tasks accurately.
The separation of the Hope Probe from the launch missile constitutes an important step and a great incentive for the team to do more during the next stage, as the probe’s mission to explore Mars translates the state slogan the Hope Probe carries on its historic space flight “nothing impossible.”
Preparation and launch stages
Since arriving at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan in April after an 83-hour trip, by land, sea and air, the Hope Probe has undergone high-precision testing and launch operations, which included filling the fuel tank for the first time with about 800 kg of hydrogen fuel and checking the fuel tank and making sure that there are no Any leaks, as well as testing communication and control devices, moving the probe to the launch pad, installing the probe on the rocket that will carry it into space, and charging the Hope Probe batteries for the last time. Final tests also included the examination of the power system, communication system, navigation system, control system, propulsion and driving system, thermal system and software systems.
The launch of the Hope Probe was preceded by three basic processing stages; The first stage of removing the exploration camera cover consisted of before the missile was installed on the launch pad, and the second stage involved moving the missile carrying the Hope Probe to the launch platform, which is a complex and delicate process, which took about half an hour and necessitated the separation of the ground control equipment from the Hope Probe temporarily so that it was re- Activate this equipment when he reaches the platform.
The third processing stage was represented in the final preparations 18 hours before the launch of the probe, which included the withdrawal of nitrogen gas for maintaining the safety of the devices, and clean air in the combustion room in the missile, followed by an examination of the status of the batteries and the state of the probe, as well as ensuring the team’s readiness in the operating room before Three hours after launch, with the Hope Probe checking to go on five minutes before launch.
Hope Probe Launch Phases
The launch of the Hope Probe consists of three phases, where the first phase began technically with the countdown to launch the probe, through the probe’s separation from the missile, the Hope Probe start by opening its solar panels and making its first contact with the earth station at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in Al Khawaneej.
In the first stage of the launch, the solid fuel impeller raises the missile after separating it from the launching platform, before this part automatically separates after completing its mission with the effect of gravity and the start of the rocket’s departure from the Earth’s orbit, and by separating this part the weight of the missile carrying the probe is reduced. To begin the period of zero gravity, the second part of the launch missile will separate.
The second stage of the launch process, until the probe of hope reaches its correct orbit around Mars, loaded on the third part of the launch rocket.
Flight of the Hope Probe
The journey of the Hope Probe to Mars will take seven months, with the orbit of the red planet expected in February 2021, coinciding with the passage of fifty years since the establishment of the UAE federation.
The launch of the Hope Probe was postponed twice due to unstable weather conditions in Japan, so that at dawn today, July 20, an ideal date will be chosen to move forward with the process, before closing the available window until August 3, 2020.
The separation of the Hope Probe from the missile is an important qualitative step in the efforts of a large team comprising more than 200 engineers and engineers from qualified Emirati cadres. During the last three months, the Hope Probe team representing the Emirates Space Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center distributed between the launch centre in Japan and the Al Khawaneej ground control station in Dubai, where the team was able to complete all final tests and scientific follow-up related to the probe on time, with acceleration Work on the project in recent months, to overcome the technical and logistical challenges posed by the emerging Coronavirus epidemic.
The Hope Probe will remain in the orbit of Mars a Martian year, which is equivalent to 687 days, as it will undertake a scientific mission which is the first of its kind in the world, by providing the first comprehensive picture of the climatic conditions on Mars throughout the year, along with researching the causes of fading of the upper layer of the cover Mars’s atmosphere, investigating the relationship between the lower and upper atmosphere layers on Mars, observing atmospheric phenomena on the surface of Mars, including monitoring dust storms, temperature changes, revealing the underlying causes of the erosion of the Martian surface, and searching for any relationships between current weather and conditions The weather is ancient for the Red Planet.
The scientific data collected by the Hope Probe will be deposited in a center of scientific data in the Emirates where the UAE scientific team will index and analyze this data, and share it for free with the worlds and specialized researchers in different parts of the world.
Scientific wealth
In addition to the interim qualitative achievements of the Emirates project team to explore Mars, “Hope Probe”, which included in recent months the transfer of the probe successfully on a journey that took 83 hours by land, air and sea from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center to the launch station on Tanegashima Island, Japan, and then equipped with high efficiency to launch, The achievements of the UAE scientific team within the probe include the development of 200 new scientific-technological designs, the manufacture of 66 pieces of its components in the UAE, in addition to publishing 51 specialized scientific research and a working paper, in addition to 60,000 participants benefiting from scientific and educational programs to introduce the mission of the Emirates Mars Exploration Project.
According to the schedule specified within the Emirates Mars Exploration Project, the Hope Probe’s journey to the Red Planet will take seven months, during which it will travel 493 million km. The “Hope Probe” is expected to reach the orbit of the Red Planet in February 2021. The probe will remain in the orbit of Mars for a full Martian year, equivalent to 687 days. The Hope Probe will collect important data, forming an unprecedented scientific wealth, so that it provides the first comprehensive and complete picture of the climatic conditions on Mars throughout the year, how the weather will change during the periods of the day and between seasons of the year, and weather phenomena will be monitored on the surface of Mars, and changes in temperature.
