An anxious group of Emirati engineers will be looking on from ground control in Dubai when the Hope probe finally lifts off for Mars later this week.
For two hours after the launch, the spacecraft's on board communication systems will remain silent as it is carried up into outer space by a Japanese-built H-IIA rocket.
Once outside Earth's orbit, however, and if all runs smoothly, the probe will then begin transmitting its first signals home.
Lift-off is scheduled for 12.51am (UAE time) on July 15 and here, The National explains exactly what happens after the probe, the Arab world's first mission to Mars, takes off.
Lift-off, Stage 1
On the day of the launch, a group of Emirati engineers will gather at both the launch site on Japan’s Tanegashima Island and at a mission control room inside the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai.
The lift-off is expected to have the world’s first Arabic countdown and will be streamed live in Arabic and in English.
If final checks are given the go-ahead, including a suitable weather window, the two-stage rocket will blast-off from its launch site with a remarkable 1,100 kilonewtons of thrust.
It will soar up over the Pacific Ocean and accelerate away from Earth at speeds of up to 34,082km/h. Later, the rocket's fairing – including its nose cone – will be jettisoned.
Lift-off, Stage 2
Following the smooth completion of Stage 1, the rocket will continue on into Earth's orbit.
There controllers will ensure its correct trajectory before taking the decision to release the Hope probe.
This is a critical moment in the launch process and has been timed to provide Earth's ideal alignment with the Red Planet, which only occurs every two years.
Communicating with Hope
Hope's computers have been programmed to perform certain set functions once it is released from the rocket.
Its first instruction will be to turn on its heaters to ensure its fuel does not freeze. Temperatures can reach as low as -270 Celsius.
The probe's two solar panels will then be deployed with the aim of beginning to charge the spacecraft's on board batteries. Hope is estimated to switch on at exactly 2.51am, at which point it will send its first transmission to Earth.
Once the data is received by the operations room at MBRSC, engineering teams will begin checking the spacecraft’s status.
“We are going to receive the first signal at our operations room at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre," said Zakareyya Hussain Al SHamshi, the deputy manager of mission operations at MBRSC.
"We will receive all of the telemetry to check its health and then we will continue testing for 13 days to measure its health.
“We expect to receive the first signal at about 2.51am or 2.54am. Then we’ll ensure the solar panels are facing the sun properly.”
Hope will then begin its 200-day journey to the Red Planet.
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
