The Minister of State for Advanced Science, the leader of the scientific team, the Emirates Mars Exploration Project "Probe of Hope" at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, Sarah Al-Amiri, stated that members of the Hope Probe team (in the control room) work more than 12 hours a day, during the last days before the launch The probe is on its expedition to Mars, according to each person’s mission, detailing that the project manager operates in excess of 18 per day, because control of the probe will be around the clock, and therefore the last 17 days (two and a half weeks) The team continues to work around the clock, Six days a week.
She revealed during a hypothetical press conference yesterday that the scientific mission of the probe will start at the end of April 2021, adding: "It is necessary to ensure the validity and integrity of the data sent by the probe, which is downloaded by the scientific team, before providing the relevant authorities with it, and then The first batch of data will be released in September 2021 to the scientific community. "
Al-Amiri explained that "designing and manufacturing a satellite to explore another planet is not easy, especially since what we previously implemented were remote sensing satellites, but the challenges in the probe were equivalent to five times the challenges in remote sensing satellites, as well as the complexities and systems that will explore other worlds Noting that "the probe design and manufacturing journey was full of challenges and moments full of learning opportunities for all team members, so we thank the leadership of the UAE for providing the opportunity before us to participate in this project, and this is our pride, and we cannot estimate the price and knowledge return on the country and the UAE youth from As they go through this project. "
She added that "the launch will be in the middle of the night of July 15, at exactly 12:51 pm, and the team will start working for 20 hours before launch on preparing the probe and will work for continuous hours after the launch," noting that "the contact is not direct to the probe after the launch, Because it is about 25 minutes late. "
She noted that "the probe will separate from the missile that carries it to Mars an hour after launch, and then the solar panels will open, after which we will pick up the first frequency from the probe through the earth station, followed by a control step and consideration of the health and safety of the primary data and devices in the probe To ensure that it works efficiently, especially the energy system, as well as to ensure that the solar panels started charging the batteries, then operate the propulsion system that gives speed towards Mars, and after aiming at Mars over a period of seven months, the health and safety of the devices on the probe are verified.
“Before the probe’s arrival in Mars in February 2021, seven months after launch, we start slowing down by operating the propulsion system for more than half an hour, to enter it into its initial orbit around Mars,” she added. “Then we make sure that all the devices in the probe are working.” Correctly, and that the scientific apparatus began to operate in this orbit, then it moves to the scientific orbit, which is 20 thousand kilometers (as the closest point) to the surface of Mars, and 43 thousand kilometers (as the furthest point) from the surface of Mars, and one session of the probe around Mars takes about 55 hours ".
She pointed out that the development of the probe was carried out inside a clean room, free of dust or large particles, to ensure the safety of the devices in it, especially scientific devices for their accuracy, as any percentage of dust, no matter how little, affects the scientific data issued by the probe, so after placing The probe on the missile is to make sure that the scientific devices are clean, by pumping gas into these devices to ensure that no type of impurities are collected in the probe, so the team’s mission over the coming days before the launch makes sure the health and safety of the devices in the probe after installing it on The missile is now.
On the role of the earth station in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, Al-Amiri said: "The station is currently witnessing important and tireless work, as the team is trying several scenarios to control the probe after the launch, and tests all existing systems to control the probe, and that the teams be well prepared to face any challenges Adding: “There are several orders that the probe must execute before receiving its first contact with the earth station at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, and this stage is one of the critical points to ensure that the communication device is working properly, and we get the first frequencies from the probe and the first data from it. Therefore, the first days after launch are important and require continuous work by team members. "