Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, shared an image of Mars taken by the country's Hope probe, on Thursday.
The probe, launched in July, has now surpassed the half-way mark of it's journey to the Red Planet with an estimated arrival date set for February 9 next year.
"A picture from the Emirati Hope Probe of the planet Mars while on it's journey, of which 135 million kilometres remain," Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter, where he shared the photo.
It is not the first image to be sent received on Earth from the probe. In July, four days after the orbiter made its historic blast from the site in Japan, Sheikh Mohammed posted an image showing its first glimpse of Mars.
And in August, Sheikh Mohammed shared pictures taken by the probe of some planets, which looked like tiny white specks in a sea of black space. But Thursday's image showed Mars in all it's red glory.
Travelling at a speed of 94,831 kilometres per hour, and with just over two months to go until it arrives at Mars, the probe's scientific mission has already begun.
UAE’s Hope orbiter will use its star tracker, a navigational camera it has been using to reach the Red Planet, to study the dust density and its distribution throughout the solar system.
It is believed interplanetary dust played an important role in the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
Shortly before it reaches the Red Planet, its ultraviolet spectrometer (EMUS) will be turned to capture Mars’ exospheric hydrogen – gas that exists on the very edge of the planet’s atmosphere.
Hope will spend two years in Mars’ science orbit, studying its thin atmosphere and weather conditions.
The Hope Probe launch from Japan in July
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The Hope probe launches from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre on July 20. AFP -
It will take the spacecraft, which later detached from the rocket, about 200 days to reach the Red Planet, arriving in February 2021. Courtesy: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -
The launch of the rocket is captured on video at Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre. Courtesy: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -
The first homegrown Arab space mission drew in interest from across the globe. Courtesy: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -
The launch of the rocket from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre. Courtesy: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -
Waiting for the launch in the morning light. MHI Launch Services twitter -
Emirati journalists clap as they watch the launch of the Hope space probe at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. AP -
A broadcasting of the launch of the Hope Mars probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. AFP -
An Emirati man wipes a tear away with his face mask while watching the launch of the Hope space probe at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. AP -
Mohammed Al Mannaee, an announcer with Dubai TV, reacts as he watches the launch. AP -
Sarah Al Ameeri and the UAE team watch the launch at at the Tanegashima Space Centre -
The UAE team watch the launch of the Mars Hope probe at at the Tanegashima Space Centre. -
Sarah Al Ameeri and the UAE team watch the launch at at the Tanegashima Space Centre -
A screen broadcasts the launch of the Mars probe at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. AFP -
Solid rocket booster (SRB-A) was separated after burnout during the launch of the H-2A rocket carrying the Hope Probe, developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Mars explore, are recorded by cameras onboard the rocket after the lauch from Tanegashima Space Center on the island of Tanegashima, Japan. REUTERS -
A screen broadcasts the launch of the Mars probe at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. AFP -
The launch of the rocket from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre. Courtesy: MHI Launch Services -
Omran Sharaf, the project director for the Hope space probe, speaks on his mobile phone at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. AP -
Sarah Al Ameeri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences of United Arab Emirates, celebrates with Naohiko Abe, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Senior Vice President, Head of Integrated Defence and Space Systems, after the successful launch of the H-2A rocket carrying the Hope Probe, developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Mars explore, at Tanegashima Space Center on the island of Tanegashima, Japan. REUTERS -
Emiratis are pictured at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai ahead of the expected launch of the "Hope" Mars probe from Japan. AFP -
The weather was clear over Tanegashima Island in southern Japan on Sunday after weeks of rain and cloudy conditions. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office -
Emirati engineers wave in a picture taken on Sunday from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre. Courtesy: Emirates Mars Mission / UAE Space Agency -
The launch of the rocket from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre. Screengrab courtesy MHI Launch Services
