UAE Becomes First Arab Nation to Successfully Enter Mars Orbit... 5th Worldwide

"An Achievement Made in 50 Years Since Founding"
Success in 6 Years Through Alliance Cooperation

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that its Mars probe has become the first among Arab countries and the fifth worldwide to successfully enter Mars orbit. This achievement, accomplished in just six years by maximizing cooperation with allied countries, is being highly praised. The UAE expressed gratitude to all countries that assisted with space technology, probe construction, and launch processes, including South Korea, the United States, and Japan, and plans to share the observational data globally.

According to foreign media such as CNBC, at 12:57 a.m. Korean time on the 10th, the UAE's Mars probe "Amal" successfully entered Mars orbit. Until now, only four countries?the United States, Russia, the European Union (EU), and India?have succeeded in entering Mars orbit. Amal was launched toward Mars on July 20 last year aboard a Japanese-developed H2A rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kyushu, Japan. After a 204-day journey, Amal succeeded in entering Mars orbit.

Amal's entry into Mars orbit is regarded as a remarkable achievement not only for the UAE but also globally as a rare success for a newcomer in the space sector. According to CNBC, the scientific community had estimated Amal's success rate for Mars orbit insertion at about 50%. Omran Sharaf, the head of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) overseeing Amal's development, launch, and operation, stated, "We have overcome many challenging situations and achieved the tremendous milestone of entering Mars orbit." The UAE, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is known to be in a festive mood.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The key to the UAE's success in entering Mars orbit in just six years after preparing for Mars exploration since 2014 is widely attributed to cooperation with allied countries. The UAE began its space development efforts in 2006, learning fundamental satellite and space technologies from South Korea at that time. In 2009 and 2013, it launched satellites ordered and manufactured in South Korea, and in 2018, it joined the Artemis Project?a joint research initiative organized by the United States and its allies aiming for lunar and Mars exploration?engaging in extensive collaborative work.

The development of the Mars probe Amal was made possible through cooperation between the UAE and U.S. institutions such as the University of Colorado, the University of California, and Arizona State University. The rocket launch was enabled by Japan's cooperation in both the launch vehicle and launch site. Omran, the project lead, also emphasized, "Collaboration is very important in space development," adding, "We transferred knowledge through cooperation with South Korea and received technology transfer through collaboration with the University of Colorado and others in the U.S., enabling us to succeed in the project within a short period."

The UAE plans to share Amal's observational data with the world as early as September and is expected to release the analysis results of the data in early December.

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