His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his happiness at completing one of the important final stages in the journey of preparing for the probe of hope.

In a tweet on his Twitter page, His Highness said that Emirati engineers continued to work despite the current conditions and global health precautions, to complete the most important space science project in our region.

His Highness added, "The probe of hope is an achievement that represents a turning point for the Arab and Islamic worlds in the space field."

His Highness also stressed that the goal of this achievement is to send a message to the new generation in our Arab world that we are capable, and nothing is impossible, and the power of hope shortens the distance between the earth and the sky.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “Thank God, one of the most important final stages of the launch of the first Arab-Islamic probe for Mars has been accomplished by moving it from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai to the launch station on Tanegashima Island, Japan, under the supervision of a team of our Emirati engineers. In a process that took 83 hours of continuous work ... the probe of hope for Mars soon.

His Highness added: “Despite the conditions of travel stopping globally, and despite the global health precautions .. Our engineers are still working according to the approved schedule for the completion of the most important scientific space project in our region .. The probe was developed in less than the usual period globally (only six years out of ten) .. and half Cost ... and the goal is to launch it in July according to the approved schedule.

His Highness stressed that «the probe of hope is an achievement that represents a turning point for the Arab and Islamic worlds in the field of space .. reaching Mars was not only a scientific goal .. but its goal is to send a message to the new generation in our Arab world that we are capable .. and that nothing is impossible .. and that strength Hope shortens the distance between the earth and the sky.

Yesterday, the Emirates Space Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center announced the successful completion of the transfer of the "Probe of Hope" to its launch site into space from the space station on Tanegashima Island in Japan, in implementation of the plan within the Emirates Mars Exploration Project.

The completion of the operations of moving the probe from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai to Japan comes after overcoming the current challenges resulting from the outbreak of the new Corona epidemic (Covid-19) globally, and the unprecedented measures that resulted, including the complete closure of many cities and countries around the world Closing international borders, stopping air traffic, and others.

Minister of State for Higher Education Affairs and Advanced Skills, Chairman of the Emirates Space Agency, Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Hamid Balhoul Al Falasi, confirmed that by successfully completing the transportation of the "Probe of Hope" from Dubai to its launch station into space in Japan, the UAE is sending a new positive message to the world By moving forward with the executive steps of the Emirates project to explore Mars, as planned previously, despite the challenges resulting from the outbreak of the new global epidemic of Corona.

He pointed out that the "Probe of Hope" is a national project that translates the vision of the UAE leadership to build an Emirati space program that reflects the country's commitment to strengthening frameworks of international cooperation and partnership, with the aim of finding solutions to global challenges for the good of humanity.

And he added that the "Probe of Hope", which is the first Arab project to explore other planets, carries a message of hope for all the peoples of the region, in a way that contributes to reviving the rich history of Arab and Islamic achievements in all sciences. As a solid value in the identity of the country and the culture of its people, the Emirates Mars Exploration Project is also an Emirati contribution to shaping and making a promising future for humanity.

For his part, Director General of the Emirates Space Agency, Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al-Ahbabi said that the Emirates Mars Exploration Project is a national strategic initiative whereby the UAE will become one of only nine countries aspiring to explore this planet, and the probe of hope will present the first comprehensive study on the climate of Mars and its atmosphere. When it reaches the Red Planet in early 2021, coinciding with the celebration of the country's golden jubilee.

In turn, the Director General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, Youssef Hamad Al-Shaibani, stressed the importance of the “Probe of Hope” in confirming the UAE’s prominent role internationally as a pioneer of continuous development and modernization. He pointed out that the Probe of Hope project joins an abundant list of major projects and achievements through which the UAE was able to gain the world's attention.

The team overseeing the transport operations included a group of young national talents, they are: Emirates Project Director for Mars Exploration, Imran Sharaf, Deputy Project Director for Probe Development, Suhail Al Muhairi, Deputy Project Manager for Logistics and Quality Assurance, Khuloud Al Harmoodi, Probe Systems Engineer and Officer Risk Management, Mohsen Al-Awadi, and Leader of Probe Launch Team, Omar Al-Shehhi.

Al-Muhairi stressed the development of the probe within the next two months, and to ensure the safety and correctness of the payment systems, the energy system and communication equipment, in preparation for launch in July.

Al-Shehhi said that the issue of transporting the probe was carefully studied in advance and was planned to be moved to Japan for more than a year, but with the crisis the world is going through and the spread of Covid-19 we had to re-study the issue in full and plan to move the probe to Japan at the appointed time to adhere to the time plan set for it.

And the journey of moving the Hope probe from Dubai to the launch site for space on Tanegashima Island in Japan went through three main phases, which necessitated activating specific scientific procedures and providing integrated logistical conditions to ensure the optimal completion of the transfer of the probe.

The first phase included the preparation and transportation of the probe from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center to the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, which lasted 12 hours, and included the preparation and loading of the shipping container specially designed for the probe, and qualifying it with the required equipment to represent a clean mobile mini room that maintains the specified temperature and humidity, and works on Use nitrogen to disinfect the probe and sensitive scientific devices from any dust particles in the atmosphere.

This was followed by loading the mechanical ground support equipment that helps to move and move the probe, and electronic support equipment that helps to monitor its condition during the flight, in addition to its use in preparations for launch, then transporting the special freight container that includes the probe from the center to Al Maktoum International Airport on board The truck is slowed to reduce the vibrations it may be exposed to, until the container is equipped at the airport and loaded onto the plane.

The second phase of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai extended to 11 hours in Nagoya Airport in Japan, and included loading the probe and ground support equipment to the giant transport plane of the "Antonov 124" logistical support for the shipment of huge equipment, which is the largest cargo plane in the world The project team escorted the probe to ensure its safety throughout the flight. The team also monitored the severity of the air bumps in light of the severe vibrations that could occur on the structure of the probe, and the stage ended with the handover of the probe upon arrival at the Nagoya airport to the team in Japan.

As for the third stage, it extended from Nagoya Airport to the launch site on Tanegashima Island, and included the landing of the probe from the plane, testing it and ensuring its safety, then transporting it by road from Nagoya Airport to the port of Shimama, and then moving it by sea from Shimama Port to Tanegashima Island where the flight spanned 44 hours, After arriving from the specialized port on the island, the team worked at the launch site to download and check the probe before starting preparations for the launch.

The probe team adopted the best health measures in place globally, to preserve the health and safety of its members, and the members of the team accompanying the probe on its trip to Japan, in addition to the members of a third team that traveled earlier and underwent quarantine procedures in Japan to be received by the probe upon arrival, to supervise Move it to the launch station to space.

It is planned that the probe of hope in its mission to Mars will start in mid July next from the Tanegashima Space Center using Mitsubishi Heavy Industries platform, and it is expected to reach the orbit of the Red Planet in the first quarter of February 2021.

The Probe of Hope, which is the first Arab project to explore other planets, carries a message of hope for all the peoples of the region to revive a history rich in Arab and Islamic achievements in science, and embodies the UAE's ambition, and its leadership's continuous endeavor to challenge and overcome the impossible, and to consolidate this trend firm value in the identity of the state and the culture of its children, It is also an Emirati contribution to shaping and making a promising future for humanity.

The achievement of the "Probe of Hope" during six years (work began to be implemented since July 2014) is a scientific and technical precedent, as the project represents a mission that is five times more difficult than designing and building satellites that revolve around the Earth, especially as the probe will operate in unusual conditions, the most important of which is an environment Mars, the unique and important scientific task accomplished by it, and the journey of reaching from Earth to the orbit of Mars, in addition to the challenge of the stability of the probe in the orbit of the planet for a period of four years during which it monitors scientific data.

The probe in its orbit around Mars is to be completely controlled from the territory of the Emirates, and by the hands of the "Ground Control Center" team of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center.

Mohamed Ben Rached:

"The probe of hope is a message to the new generation in our Arab world that we are capable, and nothing is impossible, and the power of hope shortens the distance between Earth and Heaven."

"The transfer of the probe of hope from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center to the launch station took 83 hours of continuous work ... the probe of hope for Mars soon."

"The probe of hope is an achievement that represents a turning point for the Arab and Islamic worlds in the field of space."

The probe will operate in unusual conditions, the most important of which is the unique environment of Mars.

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Scholarship student to study space science explaining study challenges

The Emirates Space Agency organized a remote meeting that brought together the Director General of the Agency and a number of its officials, with around 33 of the agency's students benefiting from the scholarship and sponsorship programs to study space science and technology inside and outside the country.

The meeting sought to get acquainted with the conditions of students and follow their academic development and professional aspirations, and answer their questions related to the scholarship program, in order to enhance direct communication with students, in addition to identifying the challenges they face in light of the spread of the "Covid-19" virus around the world, as well as introducing new developments. The space sector and its future projects.