DUBAI // The Mars rocket will have only a brief launch window in July 2020 when Earth and Mars are at their closest.
To break free from Earth’s gravity, the 1,500-kilogram craft will need to reach a speed of up to 40,000kph.
After one minute, the first set of rocket boosters will detach and fall away, followed by three more rocket stages, which will fire up and drop off until the launcher releases the spacecraft on its journey.
Once the probe stops spinning, the first signals will come in to Mission Control in the UAE.
Three solar panels will then unfold and the craft will direct itself towards the Sun to charge the batteries that will power its computers, transmitters and equipment.
After reaching full speed, the probe will not need any more energy to propel itself.
It will use star trackers to navigate using the patterns of constellations, just as the UAE’s Bedouin used the stars to navigate through the desert.
Once it reaches Mars, Hope must use its thrusters as brakes to slow down and enter the planet’s orbit.
Because of the distance, radio signals will take between 13 and 20 minutes to reach Earth, making it impossible to control the spacecraft in real time.
Its software will have to make its own decisions to correct course without human intervention.
The engine must be fired for 30 minutes to avoid speeding past Mars.
The probe’s sensors will then turn on and start collecting data to be transmitted to Earth.
A digital camera will send back high-resolution colour images and an infrared spectrometer will examine temperature, ice, water vapour and dust in the atmosphere.
And an ultraviolet spectrometer will study the upper atmosphere and traces of oxygen and hydrogen further out into space.
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Read more about the UAE’s Hope:
■ Sheikh Mohammed reveals details on UAE's Mars Mission
■ Have Hope, will travel: UAE Mars team has six years to reach goal
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cmalek@thenational.ae
