UAE Launches Mars Probe 'Amal'... 'First Attempt by Arab World'

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s Mars probe "Amal" has been launched.

On the 20th, the UAE Space Agency announced that Japan's H2A rocket carrying Amal was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kyushu, Japan, at 6:58 a.m. (Korean time). After launch, the first and second stage rockets of the H2A were ignited sequentially, successfully placing the probe into orbit.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

After separation from the propulsion system, Amal will unfold its solar panels and head toward Mars.

Amal, meaning "hope" in Arabic, was developed as part of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), which aims to send a probe to Mars in 2021, the 50th anniversary of the UAE's founding.

Since the UAE lacks its own rocket launch capability, it utilized the H2A rocket developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Amal was developed with the participation of UAE scientists and engineers, as well as researchers from the University of Colorado in the United States. This project succeeded after six years of preparation.

Amal is expected to enter Mars orbit around February next year. Equipped with an infrared spectrometer and an ultraviolet spectrometer to check oxygen and hydrogen saturation in the atmosphere, Amal plans to investigate the Martian atmosphere and more.

If this project succeeds, the UAE will become the country to send a probe to Mars following the former Soviet Union, the United States, and the European Union.

If the Mars probe is launched this month, the distance to Mars will be shorter, and following the UAE, the United States and China will also launch Mars probes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.