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UAE makes history as Hope Probe successfully enters Mars orbit after seven-month trip

UAE has now become the fifth country in history to reach the red planet and the Arab nation's first interplanetary mission.

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Picture courtesy: Twitter/@HopeMarsMission
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) made history on Tuesday after its first-ever interplanetary Hope Probe mission successfully entered orbit around Mars following a seven-month journey.

The country's first mission to the red planet which travelled over 494 million kilometres entered the orbit in its very first attempt. The Emirates Mars Mission, knows as the Hope Probe, sent a signal back to earth to confirm the success. It will soon start sending data about the Martian atmosphere and climate.

"Success! Contact with #HopeProbe has been established again. The Mars Orbit Insertion is now complete," according to a tweet from the mission's Twitter account at 11:16 am ET (9:46 pm IST).

UAE has now become the fifth country in history to reach the red planet and the Arab nation's first interplanetary mission. The Mars programme is part of the UAE`s efforts to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil. The UAE Space Agency even has an ambitious plan for a Mars settlement by 2117.

The Hope Mars Mission is considered as the biggest strategic and scientific national initiative announced by UAE's President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2014.

"I am grateful for the performance of the spacecraft, and what has made this mission remarkable, Becky, it is not only the 200 Emiratis working on this, but it is the 450 people from different continents, and from different backgrounds and beliefs. This is truly an international endeavour, and this is what science needs to be. This is what exploration is all about," said Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, deputy project manager for the mission and UAE's the minister of state for advanced sciences.

The Hope Probe is the first of the three UAE interplanetary missions. All three missions launched around the same time due to an alignment between Mars and the Earth on the same side of the sun, making for a more efficient journey to Mars. Of the other two missions, Tianwen-1 is expected to arrive on February 10 and Perseverance on February 18.

"Congratulations @HopeMarsMission on your safe arrival to Mars' orbit! Your bold endeavor to explore the Red Planet will inspire many others to reach for the stars. We hope to join you at Mars soon with @NASAPersevere," tweeted Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

(With agency inputs)

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