DUBAI — The rocket carrying the United Arab Emirates’ Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe’ has arrived at the launch pad 13 hours ahead of its scheduled blast off into space, Dubai Media Office announced on Sunday.

“With just over 13 hours to go, the rocket carrying the #UAE's Hope Probe to Mars has arrived at the launch pad. Next, the launch vehicle will be connected to the launch pad facilities,” the statement said.

The Arab world’s first mission to Mars is set for launch in the early hours of Monday. Here are the particulars of this latest space venture from the nation that put its first astronaut into space just ten months ago.

The UAE’s Hope Probe (Al Amal in Arabic) is the first Arab interplanetary mission. It is designed to orbit Mars and provide the first-ever complete picture of Martian atmosphere.

Hope Probe will begin its journey to Mars in the early hours of July 20 at exactly 1.58 a.m. (UAE time) from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) aboard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H-IIA rocket. This is the third rearrangement of the launch after cancellations due to rain on July 15 and July 17.

The date is within the so-called launch window that lasts for about a month every two years when Earth and Mars are closest together.

Why study Mars?

Hope Probe is expected to collect more than 1,000 GB of new data, which will be shared with more than 200 academic and scientific institutions around the world for free.

By studying the connection between current Martian weather and the ancient climate of the Red Planet, scientists will have deeper insights into the past and future of the Earth as well as the potential for human settlement on Mars and other planetary objects.

Scientists will understand the weather and learn how Mars lost some of its atmosphere over billions of years of its planetary history. Substantial geophysical evidence suggests that Mars was once a much warmer and more humid world, with a lot of liquid water on its surface that could have been optimal for some form of life to evolve.

Why is UAE sending a spacecraft to Mars?

To improve the quality of life on earth by pushing the limits to make new discoveries; to encourage global collaboration in Mars exploration; to demonstrate leadership in space research; to build Emirati capabilities in the field of interplanetary exploration; to build scientific knowledge; to inspire future Arab generations to pursue space science; to establish the UAE’s position as a beacon of progress in the region.

How long will the mission be?

Mars rotates on its axis, completing one rotation every 24.6 hours. Martian days are called Sols (short for solar day). Hope Probe will orbit Mars for one whole Martian year that lasts 669.6 sols or equivalent to 687 Earth days or about two Earth years.

Hope Probe will have two years of science operations beginning May 2021, with a possibility of extending until 2025.

How long is the journey from Earth to Mars?

It will be a 495-million kilometer journey to reach and orbit Mars. The voyage will take around 200 days at a cruising speed of 121,000km/hour.

Hope Probe is expected to enter Mars’ orbit in February next year, coinciding with the UAE’s golden jubilee celebrations.

Who built Hope Probe?

Hope Probe was built by a team of 150 Emirati engineers who collaborated with American engineers and scientists at three US universities, including University of Colorado, University of California Berkeley and Arizona State University.

It cost around $200 million (Dh735.6 million), which is considered among the lowest in the world when compared with similar programs.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) has been responsible for the execution and supervision of all stages of the design, development and launch of the spacecraft while the UAE Space Agency is funding and supervising all procedures. — Agencies