One year on since the UAE reached Mars and etched its name in the record books as the first Arab country to achieve the daring feat, the mission continues to gather valuable data and share never-before-seen images with the world.
A global audience watched with bated breath on February 9 last year when the Hope spacecraft entered the Red Planet’s orbit.
The UAE’s space agency became only the fifth in the world to accomplish the task.
Omran Sharaf, the mission director, and his team of engineers tracked the spacecraft from ground control at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre as it entered orbit.
“To the people of the UAE, to the Arab and Muslim nations, we announce the successful arrival to Mars orbit. Praise be to God,” Mr Sharaf announced in a live broadcast at the time.
Since then, the probe has been beaming back stunning images of the planet that has revealed its geographical features and atmospheric conditions.
Scientists around the world have been benefiting from the treasure trove of data the mission has released so far, including images of the planet’s mysterious aurora and abundance of oxygen.
Speaking to The National on the special occasion, Mr Sharaf said the mission is only halfway completed and there are still more discoveries to be made.
“There’s definitely a feeling of happiness and positivity around what's going to come in the future,” he said.
“When we were young, we never thought that we were going to work on a mission that will be sent to explore Mars.
“For me, personally, having the opportunity to work on it and to leave a fingerprint on something that put our name on Mars has been a humbling experience.”
More than 200 engineers and scientists contributed to the mission, including three US universities that helped build the spacecraft and science goals.
Mr Sharaf said reaching the Red Planet has helped them “think outside of the box” and aim for even more challenging tasks.
Last year, the UAE Space Agency announced a mission to the main asteroid belt and a Venus fly-by.
The ambitious project involves a spacecraft that would slingshot itself around Venus and then Earth by using their gravity, with a goal to reach the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
It would then fly past seven asteroids and attempt a landing on the last one.
“The asteroid belt and Venus mission is based on the Mars mission experience and platform. It’s a continuation of the initial investment by the government,” Mr Sharaf said.
On the one-year anniversary of the UAE reaching Mars, The National highlights some of the key moments of the mission.
July 16, 2014: UAE announces mission to Mars
It was an announcement no one was expecting, but soon becomes the foundation for the nation’s space programme.
The news comes years before the country even had an astronaut programme, but many young Emirati engineers who dreamt of a career in the space sector welcome the mission.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announces the news on Twitter.
“Today we announce two epic projects in our history: establishing UAE Space Agency and sending the first Arab spaceship to Mars by 2021,” he tweeted.
The goal is to reach the Red Planet in the same year of the Emirates’ Golden Jubilee.
May 8, 2015: details of mission unveiled
During a glittering ceremony held at the Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, the name of the spacecraft and timeline of the mission is unveiled.
A video detailing the science goals was released on Sheikh Mohammed’s Twitter account two days beforehand, and is discussed further during the ceremony.
The Ruler of Dubai said the spacecraft was named Hope because it sent a message of optimism to young Arabs.
November 12, 2017: Prototype of Hope probe unveiled
At the Dubai Airshow, a prototype of the Mars spacecraft goes on display for the first time.
It is an opportunity for the engineers to show the progress of the mission.
January 21, 2019: UAE announces launch date
A launch window between July 14 and August 3, 2020, is announced.
The spacecraft would lift off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre, aboard the HII-A rocket.
On May 19, it is announced that the first launch attempt would be made on July 15, 2020.
April 5, 2020: Covid-19 pandemic causes disruptions
Six years of planning, but no one saw what was coming next.
The pandemic did not cause any launch delays, but it is the reason why some of the engineers leave for Japan early to quarantine.
Some of the team members stay behind because only a limited number of people are allowed on site.
They live in Japan for more than four months to make sure the launch goes ahead on time.
April 25, 2020: Delivering Hope to a faraway Japanese island
It was a journey over land, sea and air that took the UAE’s Mars probe from a Dubai suburb to the far side of the world. But after 83 hours, the space orbiter arrives on Tanegashima Island — 1,000 kilometres south of the capital Tokyo.
The vehicle travelled in a special container to avoid damage and flew on one of the world's largest cargo planes.
July 14, 2020: Turbulent weather causes delays
The mission survives the pandemic, but Mother Nature has its own plans.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds delay the mission twice, including on July 15 and July 17.
July 20, 2020: Hope lifts off
At last, the mission lifts off.
The Hope probe begins its 493 million kilometres-long journey to Mars.
February 9, 2021: Hope enters Mars orbit
About 200 days later, the spacecraft successfully reaches Mars.
Landmarks across the Arab world light up in red to celebrate the historic achievement.
Hours later, China also manages to reach Mars with its Tianwen-1 spacecraft.
February 14, 2021: First image of Mars
Sheikh Mohammed tweets the first image of Mars captured by the Hope probe while in orbit.
Taken 24,700 kilometres above the surface of the Red Planet, the image showed the solar system’s largest volcano, Olympus Mons, at sunrise.
October 1, 2021: First set of data released
A total of 110 gigabytes of data, including images and science readings of the atmosphere and weather, is released for free to the public.
The UAE promises to release a new set every three months.
January 1, 2022: Second set of data released
The latest release of data sheds new light on some of the planet's key geographical features, such as Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, and Valles Marineris, a canyon network that is 4,000km long and reaches depths of up to 7km.
So far, 312gb of data has been released.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
SPEC%20SHEET
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
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More on animal trafficking
The specs
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5