Published 19:07 IST, July 14th 2020
UAE's Hope Mars Mission: Meet Sarah Al-Amiri, the woman incharge of the historic mission
Sarah Al-Amiri is the woman incharge of UAE’s historic Hope Mars Mission which is the country’s first interplanetary mission that took over six years.
Sarah Al-Amiri is the woman incharge of UAE’s historic Hope Mars Mission which is the country’s first interplanetary mission that reportedly took more than six years to put in place. The UAE Space Agency has been counting each day until its Mars orbiter named Amal or Hope Probe is launched into Mars orbit for at least two years and make the first-off global map of the planet’s climate across seasons, and the entire mission is being led by a woman. While talking to an international media outlet, Sarah has revealed being “mesmerised by space” ranging from its largeness and complexities and drove her exploration.
Hope Mars Mission was initially planned to take place on July 14 at 20:51:27 GMT but due to the unprecedented turn of weather conditions, the launch date has now been postponed to July 16 at 20:43 GMT. In the same interview with the BBC, the scientist incharge of marking UAE’s landing on Mars also revealed being ‘nervous’ about the mission even though the spacecraft has been tested multiple types to ensure it withstands all kinds of scenarios. The UAE’s Hope would be lifted off on Japan’s H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.
Hope Mars Mission opened ‘opportunities’ for everyone
Sarah has not only noted that the work done over the years would be ‘sitting on top’ of Japanese rocket to be sent away to a planet that lies millions of kilometres away from Earth. Further elaborating on the kind of satellite UAE is set to launch on July 16, the scientist said that it is a “weather satellite of Mars, it provides us a comprehensive understanding of weather throughout the times of the day, during different regions and at different seasons and that gives us the comprehensive view that we require”. The historic mission that millions across the world are eyed on has according to Sarah, opened “new opportunities” for everyone in the country.
UAE’s Hope is set to reach the Red Planet in February 2021 which is also the year that the country would celebrate the 50 years of its formation. The first interplanetary mission from the country would mark the ‘history-defining moment’ for its oil-dependent economy that is now seeking a future in the outer space. Emirates Mars Mission Project Director Omran Sharaf noted that the mission is not similar to the ones lead by other countries, instead, it would be the first one to give a wholesome view of Mars’ atmosphere during various seasons. Meanwhile, the United States and China have also planned their mission to the Martian planet in the upcoming days.
Updated 19:08 IST, July 14th 2020