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KT Explains: UAE Hope probe's 7-month journey to Mars

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Dubai - Over seven months, the probe is monitored constantly by the operations team on Earth.

Published: Mon 20 Jul 2020, 7:00 PM

Updated: Wed 14 Aug 2024, 10:36 AM

The UAE's Hope probe that blasted off to Mars on Monday will cruise at 121,000km/hr for seven months to reach its Martian orbit in February 2021 - the year that marks the 50th anniversary of the UAE's formation. Here is how the journey will unfold.

AFP

Status report: What has happened so far

Hope has separated from its launch vehicle

>Its solar panels have been deployed to charge its batteries

It has transmitted its first signal

It is on a trajectory towards Mars

To infinity and beyond

Over seven months, the probe is monitored constantly by the operations team on Earth

Instruments are turned on at this time and calibrated using stars to check that they are functioning well and ready to operate upon arrival in Mars' orbit.

Hello, Mars

At over 121,000km/h, the probe will be approaching Mars at a speed that may cause it to slingshot around the Red Planet and deep into space if it isn't slowed down

Delta V thrusters are fired for about 30 minutes to burn nearly half the fuel and slow the probe down to about 18,000km/h

The entire operation will be completed 930 autonomously, as radio signals from Mars take 13-26 minutes to travel to Earth, thereby preventing the ground team from intervening

Once the Mars Orbit Insertion is completed, the Hope Probe will 'go dark' - eclipsed by Mars

Communication with the probe will only be re-established once it emerges from the dark side of Mars and the first contact is potentially received from the ground station in Spain

Instruments on the probe continue to be tested, and manoeuvres are performed to position it for science observations.

Switching orbits

In the Capture Orbit (an elliptical orbit lasting 40 hours), the Hope probe can get as close as 1,000km above Mars' surface and as far as 49,380km away from it

The first image of Mars will be taken and transmitted to the Mission Operation Centre

Daily contact is scheduled with the team on Earth, enabling quick command sequence uploads and telemetry receipt

After six weeks of testing and validation, the Hope probe will move into the Science Orbit, which ranges between 20,000-43,000km and spans 55 hours per circuit

Contact with Mission Operation Centre is limited to 6-8 hours, twice a week, during which time the probe is expected to transfer over 1TB of novel data on Martian atmosphere.

sahim@khaleejtimes.com



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