With 'Hope Probe' UAE aims to be newest entrant in crowded Martian orbit

The Hope Probe aims to provide the first-ever planet-wide, 24x7 pictures of Mars' atmospheric dynamics and weather

The United Arab Emirates is set to join the exclusive list of countries with spacecraft hovering over Mars as the Hope Probe lifts off on Monday. The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) aims to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers when it reaches the Red Planet’s orbit in 2021.

Ahead of the launch UAE, Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, "The data gathered by the probe will add a new dimension to human knowledge. This is our latest contribution to the world." 

Arab world's first spacecraft for Mars is a result of six years of scientific work by nearly 200 engineers, who made “200 new technological developments and build 66 parts in UAE” to put together the 1,500-kg probe. 

Understanding Martian weather

The EMM is designed to ​orbit Mars and study the dynamics in ​the Martian atmosphere on a global scale and provide a set of measurements to improve understanding of ​the circulation and weather in the Martian lower and middle atmosphere. 

During its cruise, the probe will achieve a speed of 121,000 km/h. (Source: UAE Space Agency)

The spacecraft will help study how past environments existed on Mars and carry forward the findings of the 2015 MAVEN probe, which showed how atmospheric gas from the planet was being lost to space as solar wind and radiation had stripped its atmosphere.

The Hope Probe will monitor the first-time weather changes throughout the day, across the planet, during all seasons. In a bid to understand “the link between weather changes and atmospheric loss, instruments onboard the spacecraft will monitor the distribution of hydrogen and oxygen in the upper portions of Mars’ atmosphere (the exosphere),” the UAE Space Agency said. 

To provide a longer duration of observation scientists at the UAE Space Agency will operate the spacecraft in an orbit between 20,000 km to 43,000 km above the planet, with an orbital period of 55 hours. The highly unique orbit will allow the Hope Probe to complete the first-ever planet-wide, 24x7 picture of Mars’ atmospheric dynamics and weather.

The Hope Probe will monitor the first-time weather changes throughout the day, across the planet. (Source: UAE Space Agency)

Homegrown instruments to map Martian atmosphere

The probe carries three instruments which work simultaneously to observe key constituents within the atmosphere. The Emirates Exploration Imager is capable of capturing 12-megapixel images of Mars and measure the distribution of water, ice, and ozone in the lower atmosphere utilising the ultraviolet bands. Meanwhile, the Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer will observe the Red Planet in the infrared band and measure the optical depth of dust, ice clouds, and water vapor in the atmosphere. 

EMIRS also measures the temperature of the surface and the lower atmosphere of Mars. The thirds instrument, Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer, will study the upper atmosphere and determine the distribution of carbon monoxide and oxygen in the thermosphere.

The H2A202 rocket is part of the H-IIA launch vehicle developed and operated by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Launch and journey into Martian orbit

UAE is relying on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for the successful launch of the ambitious mission during a brief window ad Earth and Mars align at their closest points. The spacecraft will take off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan aboard the H2A202 rocket, part of the H-IIA launch vehicle developed and operated by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The three-stage launch will push the probe out of Earth's orbit towards Mars. The Emirates is coordinating with the NASA Deep Space Network based in Madrid to communicate with the probe once it sets the course for its 7-month long journey to Mars covering 493,500,000 km. 

During its cruise, the probe will achieve a speed of 121,000 km/h, which will have to be reduced to 18,000 km/h during the Mars Orbit Insertion phase. With the communication lag of 13 to 26 minutes between Earth and the Red Planet, the probe will be on its own and the operation will be conducted autonomously as it goes "Dark" in the orbit, being eclipsed by Mars. Only when the spacecraft emerges from the dark side of Mars and restores communication will there be a confirmation about its success or failure. 

Operated from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, the orbit insertion will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of UAE.

The launch comes just 10 days ahead of the Mars Perseverance Rover launch by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scheduled to take off on July 30. While Hope will study the Red Planet from above the surface, Perseverance will land on it in search of ancient microbial life to pave way for future manned missions. 

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