Four years of Hope: UAE’s probe continues to unravel mysteries of Mars

Spacecraft's data advances research on the Red Planet's atmosphere, climate and potential habitability

A composite image of Mars and its tiny moon Deimos captured by the UAE's Hope probe. It is the first time that the far-side of the moon has been observed in such great detail. Photo: Emirates Mars MissionShow less

The UAE’s Hope probe completed four years in orbit around Mars on Sunday and is continuing to deliver crucial scientific data that is helping researchers better understand the Red Planet’s atmosphere, weather and potential signs of past life.

On February 9, 2021, the country became the first Arab nation and the fifth worldwide to enter the planet’s orbit with a car-sized spacecraft.

Since then, researchers around the world have been using the probe's data to fill the gaps in understanding Mars’s climate history, atmospheric dynamics and the presence of biosignature gases that could indicate whether the planet once hosted life.

The mission has also provided unprecedented insights into Martian auroras, weather patterns and one of the planet’s two moons, Deimos.

“The fourth anniversary of the Hope Probe’s arrival at Mars marks a significant milestone, not only for the UAE but for the global scientific community,” Dr Dimitra Atri, an astrophysicist at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), told The National.

“The success of the Hope Probe has also enabled the establishment of my research group at the university, where a team of over two dozen researchers and students, including a number of UAE nationals, has been working tirelessly to analyse and interpret the mission’s data.”

Major scientific contributions

The probe’s unique elliptical orbit allows it to observe Mars from varying altitudes, providing an unprecedented view of its weather patterns, seasonal changes and atmospheric composition.

One of its key scientific contributions has been the creation of a high-resolution Atlas of Mars, developed by the research team at NYUAD.

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  The first image of Mars as taken by the UAE's Hope probe, which arrived at the planet on February 9.

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  This image taken by the Hope probe's ultraviolet spectrometer (one of its three scientific instruments) shows sunlight reflecting off the extended cloud of atomic hydrogen gas that surrounds the planet Mars. The sunlight is visible only as a dark disk hidden inside the fog of gas. The Emirates Mars Mission team said that no other mission have made such kind of recordings before.

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  The UAE's Hope probe captured a high-resolution photo of Mars.

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  The Hope probe has shared new images from its journey in the orbit of Mars.

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  This image was taken by the infrared spectrometer, another instrument on the Hope probe, from an altitude of about 15,000 kilometres. The image shows the surface temperature (left), centred on the Tharsis region of Mars. Dawn can be seen towards the right side. The low surface temperatures observed are due to the dusty nature of the Martian surface. An elevated nighttime atmospheric temperature at 25 km altitude (right) is also observed over the Tharsis region.

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  These images were captured by the eXploration imager, a high-resolution camera on the Hope probe. The red channel clearly shows the dark and light features of the Martian surface, while the water ice clouds stand out in the ultraviolet channel.

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  Hope probe sent back an image of the Cerberus Fossae, an area on the planet known for 'Marsquakes'.

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  Surface and atmospheric temperature readings collected by the UAE's Hope probe.

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  Discrete aurora on Mars captured by UAE's Hope probe

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  Discrete aurora on Mars captured by UAE's Hope probe

“By applying advanced algorithms to thousands of images and data sets from Hope, we’ve produced a comprehensive visual and analytical resource of the planet with unparalleled clarity,” Dr Atri said.

Hope’s ultraviolet spectrometer, one of its three science instruments, has also detected a never-before-seen Martian aurora stretching thousands of kilometres across the planet. Scientists are now using this data to study how solar winds interact with Mars’ thin atmosphere, which could help explain why the planet lost its once-thick atmosphere and vast amounts of water.

The search for life on Mars

Dr Atri’s team is also using Hope’s data to track methane, which could hint at past or present microbial activity. These gases are known to break down quickly, so their detection in the Martian atmosphere would suggest a continuing process, possibly biological.

“We are also working on an AI-powered weather prediction model for Mars. Leveraging Hope’s extensive data set, this model aims to forecast Martian weather patterns, including dust storms and temperature fluctuations, with remarkable precision,” said Dr Atri.

“Such tools are essential for planning future missions and ensuring the safety of astronauts on the planet.”

Hope’s probe’s lasting legacy

The success of the mission has put the UAE on the map in global space exploration and paved the way for more ambitious missions.

Emirati engineers are now developing the MBR Explorer, which will launch in 2028 to explore seven asteroids and will swing by Venus and Mars to reach there.

Mohammed Omran Alameri, lead engineer for space projects at the UAE Space Agency, told The National that they are working with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder again, as they did for the Hope probe mission.

“We’re going beyond Mars, and we’re getting very close to the Sun when we do the Venus gravity assist maneouver,” said Mr Alameri.

“The Venus gravity itself – it's imposed a lot of thermal constraints. The spacecraft needs to be able to dissipate a lot of heat because we're close to the Sun.

“At the same time, when we go to the asteroid belt, it's a very cold environment, so you need the heat to be within the spacecraft.”

The MBR Explorer has enormous solar panels to help power its electrical solar propulsion system.

He said the spacecraft would use an electric propulsion system, which is essential for long-duration missions like this one.

Solar arrays, measuring 16 metres, on the MBR Explorer will help generate a significant amount of power to run the propulsion system and other critical systems.

They would also help the craft stay at the right temperature, ensuring it can handle both the extreme heat near Venus and the freezing cold of the asteroid belt.

The mission is being developed in collaboration with local companies to help give a boost to the private industry.

Omran Sharaf helped lead the UAE's mission to Mars and was later appointed as the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation for Advanced Science and Technology.

He said at the Mars Society Convention in 2021 that MBR Explorer would test how well the UAE’s space team can transfer the knowledge gained from the Mars project to the private sector.

“It's a new and critical phase in the UAE space programme because one of the biggest challenges is how we can ensure that the knowledge that we've gained through the Mars and previous missions is properly given to the private sector,” Mr Sharaf said.

“Because, ultimately, this is about serving our economy and addressing our environmental challenges.”