Emirates Mars Mission

Emirates Mars Mission
Name	Al Amal (Hope Probe)
Mission type	Mars orbiter
Operator	Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
Cospar id	2020-090A
Satcat	46946
Mission duration	Primary: 2 years (planned)
Launch date	19 July 2020 (UTC)
Launch rocket	H-IIA 202
Launch site	Tanegashima Space Center
Launch contractor	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Manufacturer	Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre / University of Colorado Boulder / Arizona State University / University of California, Berkeley
Orbit reference	Mars
Orbit periapsis	~20,000 km
Orbit apoapsis	~43,000 km
Insignia	Emirates Mars Mission logo

Emirates Mars Mission

The Emirates Mars Mission is a United Arab Emirates national space endeavor that placed the Al Amal (Hope Probe) into orbit around Mars in February 2021. The project was led by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre with international partnerships from institutions including the University of Colorado Boulder, Arizona State University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The mission aimed to deliver a comprehensive atmospheric dataset to advance understanding of Martian climate, diurnal processes, and global circulation.

Overview and Objectives

The mission sought to study the Martian atmosphere and climate system, focusing on the upper and lower atmospheric coupling, which ties into investigations by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Express, MAVEN, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, and ground-based observatories such as Atacama Large Millimeter Array. Scientific objectives included characterizing thermal structure, composition, and escape processes relevant to hypotheses about Noachian epoch climate transitions, atmospheric escape, and volatile cycles studied by teams from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Space Agency, and Roscosmos. The program also emphasized capacity building for the United Arab Emirates Space Agency, workforce development with partners like Khalifa University, and diplomatic science collaboration with agencies including Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Canadian Space Agency.

Spacecraft: Al Amal (Hope Probe)

Al Amal, commonly called Hope Probe, is a 1,350 kg spacecraft built with contributions from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Colorado Space Grant Consortium, and engineering teams associated with Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration and University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. The spacecraft bus incorporates systems derived from heritage platforms used by contractors such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and avionics influenced by designs from Lockheed Martin and Airbus Defence and Space. Onboard subsystems include solar arrays, reaction wheels, star trackers, and a communications suite compatible with the Deep Space Network and coordinated campaigns with Arab Regional Satellite Communications Organization. The design accommodated three scientific instruments developed by consortia led by UAE universities, US research institutions, and international collaborators from Japan and Europe.

Mission Design and Launch

The mission trajectory used a direct interplanetary transfer following launch aboard an H-IIA 202 vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under a contract with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Launch planning involved mission analysts from NASA Ames Research Center, JPL, and teams experienced with interplanetary navigation such as those at University of Michigan and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Cruise phase operations and Mars orbit insertion were supported by ground stations including Malargüe Deep Space Station and partners coordinating with the United Arab Emirates Space Agency and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. The insertion maneuver placed Al Amal into a highly elliptical equatorial orbit designed to achieve global coverage over diurnal cycles, complementing inclined orbits of MRO and MAVEN.

Instruments and Science Payload

The payload comprised three primary instruments: an infrared spectrometer developed by teams at University of Colorado Boulder and Arizona State University, an ultraviolet spectrograph led by University of California, Berkeley investigators, and a multi-band imager assembled with contribution from Khalifa University and international partners. These instruments enabled measurements of atmospheric temperature profiles, water vapor distribution, ozone-like species, and hydrogen/oxygen escape signatures analogous to datasets from MAVEN and the Trace Gas Orbiter. Calibration and validation activities were informed by techniques used in missions such as Mars Climate Orbiter (heritage methods), Mars Global Surveyor, and Earth-observing missions like Aqua and Terra for radiometric cross-checks.

Operations and Data Analysis

Mission operations were conducted from the Operations, Control and Science Center at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre with science data processing performed in collaboration with researchers at Arizona State University, University of Colorado, University of California, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, and participating laboratories across United Arab Emirates, United States, and Europe. Data pipelines employed methodologies developed in the Planetary Data System community and similar archives maintained by ESA and NASA. The project organized science working groups mirroring structures used by MAVEN and MRO teams, enabling coordinated campaigns, joint observations with InSight and Perseverance rover datasets, and participation in international conferences such as AGU Fall Meeting and European Planetary Science Congress.

Mission Results and Legacy

Early results provided global, diurnal maps of temperature and hydrogen escape rates that contributed to reassessments of seasonal water cycling and upper atmosphere variability, complementing findings from MAVEN on atmospheric loss and from Mars Express on near-surface processes. The mission stimulated growth in UAE research capacity, student training at Khalifa University and United Arab Emirates University, and partnerships with institutions including Caltech, MIT, and Stanford University. Outreach initiatives drew on networks like United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and regional programs promoted by the Arab League. The program's legacy includes enhanced operational expertise at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, publications in journals such as Nature Astronomy and Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, and contributions to future missions planned by the UAE Space Agency and international collaborators.

Category:Spacecraft launched in 2020 Category:Missions to Mars Category:Space program of the United Arab Emirates