The UAE is to extend its history-making Mars mission until 2028, five years on from the Hope probe being launched into space.
The spacecraft entered the Red Planet's orbit on February 9, 2021, in a giant leap forward for the UAE's expanding space programme.
The Emirates became the first Arab nation and only the fifth country in the world to achieve the feat, with a car-sized spacecraft that has been crucial to unravelling some of the mysteries of Mars.
Researchers around the world have used the probe's data to fill the gaps in understanding the planet’s climate history, atmospheric dynamics and the presence of biosignature gases that could indicate whether the planet has hosted life.
The mission has also provided unprecedented insights into Martian auroras, weather patterns and one of the planet’s two moons, Deimos.
Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and chairman of the UAE Space Agency, hailed the success of the milestone mission as he announced the Hope Probe's critical work would continue.
"Today, we are talking about the impact of this project," he said. "As shown in the video, when we started this mission, the initial goal was to send one terabyte of data.
Martian moon captured by Hope probe - in pictures
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The UAE’s Hope probe has captured a striking image of Phobos, the largest Martian moon, here seen in front of the Red Planet. Andrea Luck / Hope Mars Mission -
Here, Phobos is clearly visible above the Martian surface. Photo: Jason Major / Hope Mars Mission -
Phobos, which got its name from Greek mythology, circles the planet only 6,000 kilometres above the surface. Photo: Jason Major / Hope Mars Mission -
Hope's high-resolution camera, called the eXploration imager instrument, allows space enthusiasts to create stunning images of the planet. Photo: Andre Luck / Hope Mars Mission -
A close-up view of Olympus Mons, the largest and tallest mountain in the solar system, and the Tharsis Montes region. This image was processed by Dr Dimitra Atri of NYUAD using Hope probe's raw data. Photo: Dr Dimitra Atri / Hope Mars Mission
"Today, we have exceeded that target tenfold, delivering more than 10 terabytes of high-quality scientific data. From an operational perspective, the mission was originally designed for one year in orbit, equivalent to two Earth years. Yet by 2026, we will have completed five years in orbit."
Hope endures
Dr Al Falasi spoke of the wider effects of the mission, in helping to cultivate a love of science and space among future generations.
"What makes us particularly proud is not only that the spacecraft is performing well, but that the mission has had a tangible impact on the UAE and the wider region," he said. "More than 100,000 students and teachers have taken part in the ‘Generation of Space’ programme, which encourages young people to explore science and mathematics.
"At the university level, enrolment in Stem programmes has increased from 19,260 students to 25,000 – a 31 per cent rise in just four years. This is the true impact of any space exploration mission: accelerating scientific development and inspiring national progress."
Noora Al Saeed, principal investigator of the Emirates Mars Mission, said the extension of the mission reflected the UAE’s long-term commitment to science.
“The importance of this extension is that it clearly demonstrates the UAE’s commitment to building scientific capabilities and deepening the science of a mission we have already established," Ms Al Saeed said.
"This phase is when the science really happens. Scientific discovery does not take place in days or months – it takes years, often decades. Extending the mission shows that this commitment is real.
“Over the coming years, the extension will allow us to expand our coverage of seasonal changes on Mars, helping us better understand what drives atmospheric variation on daily, monthly and seasonal timescales.”
She said the value of the mission goes beyond Mars itself. “These scientific missions are not about quick results. What we are doing is expanding humanity’s understanding of planetary atmospheres in general. Mars, for example, is believed to have once had a much thicker atmosphere that may have supported conditions for life, but it no longer does.
"Understanding what happened there helps us better understand how atmospheres evolve, including Earth’s and how climate systems can change over long periods of time.”
