Dubai space magazine distributed at schools and libraries

DUBAI // A children’s magazine called The Red Planet is being distributed at schools and libraries as part of the Year of Reading initiative.

Produced by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), the magazine derived its name from the biggest and most ambitious space projects in the country: The Emirates Mars Mission Hope Probe, which will study the Red Planet’s atmosphere.

The Red Planet is a space magazine made for youngsters and school students from the age of 6 to 14. It is issued every two months in both the Arabic and English languages, with the aim of motivating children to read, while supporting the UAE’s strategic plans to inspire children to study science and adopt innovative thinking, in line with the national strategy for innovation and the vision of building an economy based on knowledge.

So far, the space centre has published four issues of the magazine and has distributed 200,000 free copies to public and private schools to ensure it is easily accessible to students and to make scientific reading a daily habit from early age. The fifth issue is scheduled to be distributed in November.

“The Red Planet magazine is one of our long-term educational projects, aimed at spreading knowledge and making reading a daily habit,” said Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of MBRSC. “The magazine aims to enrich the younger generation’s knowledge of space science, complementing the role of the school and family. It has contributed to the implementation of The Reading Challenge Programme, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, with a view to creating a generation full of readers and knowledgeable thinkers who are interested in building a career in the scientific sectors.”