UAE’s ‘Hope’ probe sends first image of Mars home

The United Arab Emirates’ “Hope” probe returned its first image of Mars, the national space agency said Sunday, days after the spacecraft successfully entered the orbit of the Red Planet.

The picture “captured the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, rising in the early morning light,” reads a statement.

The image was taken on Wednesday from an altitude of 24,700 kilometers (15,300 miles) above the Martian surface, a day after the probe entered the orbit of Mars, according to a statement.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, prime minister of the UAE and Dubai’s ruler, shared the color image on Twitter.

“The first photograph of Mars taken by the first Arab sin in history,” he wrote.

The mission is designed to reveal the secrets of Mars weather, but the UAE also wants it to serve as inspiration for the region’s youth.

Hope became the first of three spacecraft to reach the Red Planet this month after China and the US also launched missions in July, taking advantage of a period in which Earth and Mars are closest.

The UAE undertaking was also set up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the association of the country’s seven emirates.

“Hope” will orbit at least one Martian year, or 687 days, around the Red Planet and use three scientific instruments to monitor the Martian atmosphere.

More information is expected to be sent back to Earth in September 2021, with the data available for scientists around the world to study.

© 2021 AFP