Among three ambitious Mars missions launched in 2021, the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Hope probe will arrive first at the Red Planet. Deployed in a high elliptical orbit, it will conduct in-depth studies of Mars' atmosphere.
Three nations seized the summer 2020 launch window to Mars: the United States (Mars 2020 mission), China (Tianwen-1 mission), and the UAE (Hope mission). The UAE spacecraft leads the way, with Mars orbit insertion set for Tuesday, February 9.
UAE officials assess a 50-50 success chance for this intricate maneuver, requiring the probe to decelerate from 121,000 km/h to roughly 18,000 km/h to be captured by Martian gravity. The burn begins Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. French time and lasts under 30 minutes.
Success would make the UAE the fifth nation to reach Mars, following NASA, Russia, the European Space Agency (ESA), and India's ISRO. This milestone coincides with the UAE's 50th anniversary.
UAE landmarks have glowed red at night in anticipation. On Tuesday, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, will host a grand celebration.
At around 40,000 km altitude, Hope will observe Mars' atmosphere and climate for one Martian year—687 Earth days—with data transmission starting September 2021.
“This project embodies our nation's hopes and the aspirations of Arab and Islamic peoples for a brighter future,” stated UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Mission manager Omran Sharaf emphasized inspiring 100 million Arab youth, “showing a future beyond oil,” as it can't sustain the economy indefinitely. “Failure on Mars is an option,” he noted. “But failure of progress is not.”
China's Tianwen-1 follows on February 10 for orbit insertion, targeting a landing in May—potentially making China the second nation for a soft Mars landing. NASA's Perseverance rover aims for Jezero Crater on February 18.
