Just months after orbiting Mars, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is setting its sights on the asteroid belt—a bold leap for this rising space power.
In February 2021, the UAE Space Agency etched its name in history by successfully inserting the Hope probe into Mars orbit on its inaugural interplanetary mission.
Still operational at Mars, Hope is enhancing our understanding of the planet's weather. As the first weather satellite in a highly elliptical orbit—from 20,000 to 43,000 kilometers—it captures global atmospheric dynamics around the clock, a feat previously unattainable.
Now established among the world's top space agencies, the UAE has announced its next target: the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, revealed last October.
Mirroring Hope's approach, this mission will advance scientific discovery while supporting economic diversification beyond oil, per Space.com.
Slated for launch in 2028, the new probe will leverage Hope's design with upgrades: superior thermal shielding for a Venus flyby and enhanced power systems for dimmer conditions farther from the Sun.
Rather than locking onto specific asteroids, engineers are plotting an efficient trajectory, selecting viable targets en route based on spacecraft capabilities.
This initiative bolsters a wave of asteroid explorations. The belt harbors pristine Solar System relics, virtually untouched, that promise deeper insights into our origins.
NASA and ESA's DART mission will impact an asteroid next fall. NASA's Lucy probe to Trojan asteroids is underway, with Bennu samples due in 2023. Japan holds Ryugu samples, and China eyes missions later this decade.
