What a time to be a part of the UAE…

The past few weeks have been abuzz with the news of the UAE’s first mission to Mars. The Hope Probe has now successfully launched into orbit, making the entire nation proud to be a part of its journey.

No one more so though, than HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Ruler and Vice-President of the UAE. HH Sheikh Mohammed took to Twitter today, Monday July 20, to share details of the project and express his pride for the successful launch.

In a Tweet, the Dubai ruler said: “We proudly announce the successful launch of the Hope probe. The ground control station in Dubai has received the first signal from the probe after its solar panels were successfully deployed to charge its batteries. Our 493 million km journey to the Red Planet starts here.”

His Highness also shared a moving video sharing the UAE’s long history with the study of space, and how far the country has come on its journey.

The Hope Probe launched from Japan in the early hours of this morning, following a couple of delays due to poor weather conditions. The final take-off took place at 1.58am UAE time in ‘perfect’ weather.

A two-way connection has now been made with the probe so that all signals can be received as it begins its mission. The Hope Probe will reach Mars in roughly 200 days from now. The aim is to discover more about the Red Planet and study its atmosphere.

Image: Twitter