February 9, 2021 has gone down in history as the day the UAE’s first interplanetary mission – and the first from the Arab world – succeeded when the Hope probe entered the Martian orbit. With a spectacular launch on July 20 from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan, it took 204 days to cover the 493 million km journey to reach the orbit of Mars. For a country founded only in 1971 and with a relatively small population of 10 million, it is an extraordinary achievement.
The UAE also became the second country in history, after India, to reach Mars on its maiden attempt. Just as the Apollo missions in the 1960s inspired a generation of young people to pursue careers in science, the Hope probe’s success has the potential to do so here in the Middle East.
It is also a symbol of how, when it comes to scientific exploration, the world is in this together; Hope was accompanied by China’s Tianwen-1, which entered the Martian orbit on February 10 and Nasa’s rover Perseverance, scheduled to land on February 18. All three missions had to overcome daunting challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which makes their successes even more significant.
The history of Mars missions is riddled with failures. The odds of success are usually 50/50. The first attempt to reach Mars was made by USSR in 1960 with the Mars 1M No 1 mission, which ended in a launch failure. The first country to succeed was the US, with a fly-by mission – Mariner 4 – in which the probe went past Mars in 1965. Nasa's Mariner 9 probe successfully entered orbit for the first time in November 1971 and a month later, the USSR’s Mars 3 was the first lander to successfully land on the planet.
Then in 1976, Nasa’s two landers, Viking 1 and 2 were the first missions to have on board instruments to search for signs of life. Over the years, Nasa has deployed several rovers to investigate the Martian surface and has accumulated a long list of accomplishments in doing so. In the 21st century, other countries successfully deployed orbiters around Mars with the European Space Agency’s Mars Express in 2003 and India’s Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter Mission in 2014.
What is so special about Mars? At NYU Abu Dhabi’s Centre for Space Science, where I am a planetary astrophysicist, our research group is deeply interested in what the Red Planet, and the Hope probe, can teach us.
An overarching theme of our team’s research is investigating the astrophysical conditions that are responsible for carving out habitable conditions on planets in the solar system and around other stars, known as extrasolar planets or exoplanets. Using a combination of space mission data and our own calculations, we study how radiation from the Sun and other stars affects planets around them and their potential to host life. Because of its similarity and proximity to the Earth, Mars is the best place to investigate these questions.
Mars is our planetary neighbour, and was very Earthlike in the ancient past, with abundant liquid water on its surface. It plausibly could have hosted life. Over time, its atmosphere eroded and the climatic conditions became inhospitable. Most of the water evaporated and it became extremely dry and cold. We are interested in learning how Mars lost most of its atmosphere and water.
Hope will measure the distribution of hydrogen and oxygen in the Martian atmosphere, which will help us better understand the atmospheric loss mechanism. Our team is currently analysing data from Nasa’s Maven orbiter, and Hope will provide us with complementary data to study this.
What sets Hope apart from other missions is its unique orbit. With a relatively high orbit and an orbital period of 55 hours, it will be able to view the full “disc” – an entire hemisphere – of the planet at once. It will observe the entire planet every nine days, to provide a global picture of the Martian climate. By comparison, Maven and the ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter probe are closer to the surface, with orbital periods of 4.5 and two hours, respectively. They are able to observe only a small patch of the planet at a time.
In the Arab world, the roots of that history go all the way back to astronomy in the medieval period
Hope will also measure water vapour, ozone and information about dust in the atmosphere. Dust storms play a key role in regulating the Martian climate and also the escape rates of gases from the atmosphere. It sheds light on the impact of extreme solar events on the escape rates, as well as the planet’s atmospheric chemistry. Data from Maven and Nasa’s Curiosity rover already allow us some understanding of how energetic solar radiation during extreme events impacts the chemistry, but Hope data will provide additional information that will enable us to understand these processes even better.
We all seem to be fascinated with the idea of humanity one day creating settlements on Mars – so much so that the UAE plans to establish a human base on the planet by 2117, known as the Mars 2117 project.
The night before Hope’s entry into the Martian orbit, residents of Dubai were treated to the sight of two moons in their night sky. Although it was only an artificial projection to promote the Hope mission, it was meant to give people a sense of what it’s like to live on a planet like Mars, which has two moons.
The interaction of extreme events on Mars is very important to understand because they pose dangers to future astronauts, like those who may one day participate in the Mars 2117 project. Our research will not only shed further light on these dangers, but also design effective mitigation strategies for future Martian settlers.
The Hope mission is planned to operate for two Martian years, or four Earth years, though it will likely continue for much longer. It will be a useful asset to Mars researchers around the world and an excellent resource for students and researchers in the region. That impact will also help to diversify our economy and inspire the youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Space is a great way to attract young people to pursue careers in these disciplines and, coupled with long-term investments in scientific research, it can transform the region into an intellectual hub of discovery and innovation with unexpected benefits.
Medical science, for example, has benefited tremendously from advancements in space science and technology, giving us better instruments for diagnosis, imaging and miniaturisation. It is not a coincidence that the first countries to develop Covid-19 vaccines are the ones with a history of investments in scientific research. They could leverage their research infrastructure for public benefit. It would not have been possible otherwise.
In the Arab world, the roots of that history go all the way back to astronomy in the medieval period. With an emerging human space flight programme underpinned by the Hope mission and the coming Emirates Lunar Mission, there are abundant opportunities for the youth in the region to get involved in space exploration and carry that history forward.
Dimitra Atri is a research scientist at the NYU Abu Dhabi's Centre for Space Science. His research is focused on Mars, extrasolar planets and astrobiology
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
england euro squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
RACECARD
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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Zayed Sustainability Prize