Countdown begins for UAE's mission to Mars

They plan to launch the Hope Probe into orbit around mid-July 2020, and it is expected to reach Mars orbit in the first quarter of 2021 - the year of the Golden Jubilee of the UAE.
This is the first Arab project to explore another planet and the first time a space exploration mission will be able to take a global picture of the Martian atmosphere.
It aims to collect information on Mars' meteorological layers and study the causes of loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases, the two main constituents of water, from the upper layer of the Martian atmosphere.
The probe will be launched from Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan, with a carrier rocket similar to that used for the launch of satellites, and it will take from seven to nine months to reach Mars.
In its journey to Mars, the probe would need to change its position from time to time to point its solar panels at the sun to charge its batteries, and to point its antenna back at Earth to maintain contact with mission control. The Hope Probe is expected to collect more than 1,000 GB of new data on the Red Planet.
Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said, “We are approaching a historic Arab and Islamic achievement in space exploration with the final preparations to launch the Hope Probe. These preparations are being supported and guided by the wise leadership and by the sons of Zayed who seek to raise the UAE’s flag through this ambitious project, the largest of its kind in the region to explore another planet”.
“The Hope Probe will be a milestone in the UAE’s record of achievements, which began since the inception of the UAE. It is a confirmation to the whole world that the UAE has entered the global space exploration race and is determined to hold a leading position among the developed countries in this difficult and complex field. Only countries with people armed with science, ambition, a spirit of challenge and achievement can enter this field,” added Al Falasi.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman of MBRSC, said, “At this point, the countdown to sending the Hope Probe to Mars orbit has begun. Less than one year left till we make a new historical achievement and add it to the UAE's record. We are certain that the data the global scientific community will receive about Mars through this mission, will be valuable and will contribute to enhancing our understanding and knowledge about the red planet; a knowledge that will be passed on to future generations. The Hope Probe is a journey that began with hope and an idea. It is now a reality that is shared by Emirati scientists and engineers, who will transfer knowledge in the space sector to Emirati graduate and undergraduate students,” Al Mansoori said.