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UAE Mars mission: Shaikh Mohammed reviews space probe

Dubai - The HopeProbe is set to arrive in Mars by 2021 in conjunction with the UAE celebration with the national day.

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His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, reviewed the designs of Hope Probe, as part of the Emirates Mars Mission. The project will send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021 marking the UAE's 50^th National Day.
Shaikh Mohammed gave green light to start manufacturing the probe's prototypes, the Arab world's first Mars probe. The project place the UAE with the nine countries that aim to explore Mars.

Image credit: Dubai Media Office/Twitter
Shaikh Mohammed said:

"UAE ambitions is to explore the outer space. We are investing in our national cadres to lead this project and contribute in expanding our knowledge about Mars. Hope Probe is a qualitative leap for UAE's scientific efforts, it the first contribution for the Arab world in this regard".

Shaikh Mohammed's remarks came while visiting the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to opens the 2^nd phase of UAE satellite manufacturing and assembling complex, a multitasking facility capable of handling several space projects at a time.
Signaling the beginning of manufacturing process, Shaikh Mohammed installed the first part of KhalifaSat, the first Arab satellite which is being built purely by Emirati engineering and expertise in the UAE. KhalifaSat is set to launch in 2018.
KhalifaSat provides satellite imaging capabilities at an industry competitive Ground Sampling Distance of 0.7m panchromatic and 4m in multispectral bands to governmental and commercial entities and corporations worldwide.
Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation; Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future; and Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director General of Dubai Protocol Department accompanied Shaikh Mohammed during the visit.
Upon his arrival, Shaikh Mohammed was welcomed by Chairman of TRA Board of Directors Mohamad Ahmad Al Qemzi, MBRSC Board Chairman Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri and MBRSC Director General Yousif Al Shibani in addition to MBRSC's senior executives and project managers.
Upon his arrival, Shaikh Mohammed was welcomed by Chairman of TRA Board of Directors Mohamad Ahmad Al Qemzi, MBRSC Board Chairman Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri and MBRSC Director General Yousif Al Shibani in addition to MBRSC's senior executives and project managers.
Expressing his pride to see the first UAE satellite being built by Emirati engineers, Shaikh Mohammed said:

"The UAE today has the full capacity to manufacture and build satellites with any foreign technical support. We are planning to become a leading regional hub for space industries and we will continue developing Emirati workforce highly specialized in space technologies".

The Hope Probe that was launched in 2015 will leave Earth in 2020 traveling more than 60 million kilometres in nine months and will be launched to coincide with the UAE's 50^th anniversary.
During the visit, Shaikh Mohammed also inaugurated a house that is fully powered by solar energy with the same solar technology used space industries. The house is built with smart engineering solutions that fit the hot and humid climates. The technologies includes water cooling systems, heat and air insulations, air filtration and ventilation systems and smart operation system. The house is made of treated wood without any steel elements.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) launched this project as part of its research efforts in sustainability and green buildings. The house uses energy production and storing technologies similar to the technologies used in building satellites and space shuttles.