UAE Mars project a crucial step towards dream of human missions to Red Planet, says Nasa chief

Dr Lori Glaze said findings of UAE's Hope probe will play a vital role in lofty ambitions for global space sector

Omran Sharaf, Emirates Mars Mission director. Photo: Emirates Mars Mission

Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE's Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, is playing an important role in space exploration. Photo: Emirates Mars Mission

Omar Al Shehhi, lead of integration and testing of the Hoep spacecraft. Photo: Emirates Mars Mission

Mohammed Wali, deputy project manager of the launch team. Courtesy: Emirates Mars Mission

A senior Nasa scientist has heralded the UAE's landmark Mars mission as a crucial step towards fulfilling long-held ambitions to inhabit the Red Planet.

Dr Lori Glaze, planetary science division director at the American space agency, said the findings of the Hope probe's exploration of Mars will be key to humans eventually setting foot on its surface.

The UAE's latest journey to space, which is due to launch at 12.43am (UAE time) on Friday from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan, is central to its wider project to form the first human settlement on Mars by 2117.

The senior scientist shared her confidence in the nation's space programme during an online meeting organised by the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

"I think we'll get there," said Dr Glaze of plans for humans to land on Mars.

"I would say that having multiple countries now [on Mars exploration] has increased our capability [globally] of going back and forth to Mars."

Dr Glaze, however, conceded there is a long journey ahead for the international community.

"It is very important that we take a methodical approach where we make sure we take each step at a time," she said.

Missions such as that being undertaken by the UAE will provide  scientists with valuable data to enable a greater understanding of Mars and the challenges space agencies face in putting astronauts on the planet for the first time.

"We need to be able to land those heavy spacecraft on Mars and then we need to be able to launch it off of the surface of Mars. This has never been done before," Dr Glaze said.

"We need to be able to demonstrate in-orbit rendezvous at Mars ... that once we've launched from the surface to then rendezvous with another spacecraft and then be able to get out of orbit and come back to Earth.

"So, all of these things need to be demonstrated even before we send the first human to Mars.

The Hope probe was placed inside this payload fairing last week and was transferred to building where the rocket is kept. Courtesy: Shoma Watanbe

The launch pad is ready to receive the H-IIA rocket, which will deliver the Hope probe to space. It will take 30 to 40-minutes for the rocket to be transported to the launch pad. Courtesy: Yoshiaki Sakita

The payload fairing, which is holding the spacecraft, has been mounted on top of the rocket. The structure is meant to protect the probe from dynamic pressure and aerodynamic heating it experiences during its launch into an atmosphere. Courtesy: Shoma Watanbe

The probe was already fuelled with 800kgs of hydrogen for its seven-month-long journey to Mars. Courtesy: Emirates Mars Mission

The H-IIA rocket that will carry the Hope probe into space. Dubai Twitter account

All launch viewing events in Tanegashima have been suspended as part of the Covid-19 safety measures. Signs have been up in all of popular spots, asking the public to keep a 3km distance from the Tanegashima Space Centre on launch day. Courtesy: Yoshiaki Sakita

The most popular launch viewing site is the Rocket Hill. It is a five-minute drive from the main building of the Tangashima Space Centre and offers a clear view of the launch. It remains closed to the public. The National

The free bus tour and exhibition at the Tanegashima Space Centre has also been suspended in efforts to contain the Covid-19 spread. Signs were placed outside of the centre, alerting the public. Courtesy: Yoshiaki Sakita

Engineers at the launch site in Tanegashima island, Japan. Courtesy: Emirates Mars Mission

The completed Hope spacecraft. It will study the lower and upper atmosphere of Mars. Courtesy: Emirates Mars Mission

"I think we need to have realistic expectation and take it one step at a time and keep moving to that next step and that next level of capability so that we can eventually realise that dream."

The Emirates Mars Mission will study the atmosphere on the planet, complementing work being carried out by counterparts in America.

"We [Nasa] are also taking information on how the atmosphere is lost to space. This is very important information for helping us to understand how the atmosphere of Mars has changed and evolved over time," Dr Glaze said.

"So I think that combining the information from Nasa’s Maven [Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution] mission and the UAE’s Hope probe will help further our understanding of how that atmosphere is currently being lost to space, but also provide us new insight into how it has changed over time, how it has been lost over time. So it will be a major contributor to that science question as well."

The Maven spacecraft reached the orbit around Mars in 2014 and is still studying the red planet’s upper atmosphere.

Dr Glaze will be joining two scientists from the UAE Space Agency at an online meeting to discuss the Hope probe launch. The event, hosted by the US Embassy in collaboration with Nasa and the UAE Space Agency, will take place ‪on Tuesday at 4pm.

To register for the online event, visit this link.