Emirates Mars Mission Celebrates Third Year of Discoveries

Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), the groundbreaking interplanetary exploration venture initiated by an Arab nation, has marked its third year of scientific accomplishments. The release of a series of unique observations, drawn from the first measurements of Mars’ atmosphere across a full Martian year, underscores the successful achievement of the Mission’s stated science objectives.

Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency, expressed the exceptional success of the Emirates Mars Mission in exceeding expectations. He emphasized the mission’s role in accelerating the UAE’s engineering capabilities and transforming education, research, and innovation ecosystems. Al Qubaisi highlighted the significant scientific contributions made by EMM, which not only fulfilled its original objectives but surpassed them.

The EMM was strategically designed to address questions posed by the global community of Mars scientists and researchers represented by MEPAG (Mars Exploration Programme Analysis Group). The Hope probe, a vital component of the mission, was tasked with monitoring global, diurnal, and seasonal changes in the Martian atmosphere, including variations caused by solar forcing leading to atmospheric escape.

Hoor Al Mazmi, EMM Project Manager, affirmed that the mission had not only achieved its initial goals but had surpassed them, revealing unique discoveries. These include investigations of new types of aurora and extensive observations of Mars’ least known moon, Deimos. The Hope probe’s elliptical orbit provided a near-complete picture of Mars’ atmospheric dynamics every nine days, facilitating unprecedented insights into the planet’s changing atmosphere throughout a full Martian year.

Mohsen Al Awadhi, Director of Space Missions Department at UAE Space Agency, highlighted the probe’s optimal performance, revealing the possibility of extending the mission further from an engineering perspective. A series of visuals, shared by the EMM Science Team, showcased the Oxygen emission changing over more than one Martian year, captured by the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS). The team also presented daily global maps of dust and ice, as well as images depicting the visual changes on Mars throughout a full Martian year.

The Hope Probe, equipped with three instruments—Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI), Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer (EMIRS), and Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS)—has played a pivotal role in advancing the UAE’s spacecraft design, engineering, and space science capabilities. Weighing approximately 1,350 kg and the size of a small SUV, the spacecraft was developed through a collaborative effort with knowledge transfer partners globally, including LASP at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Arizona State University; and the University of California, Berkeley.

The achievements of the Emirates Mars Mission underscore the UAE’s commitment to space exploration and scientific advancement, positioning the nation as a key player in the international space community.