UAE Nation Brand logo to hitch a ride on Mars Hope Probe

Dubai - The Probe will be launched in July this year.

When the UAE's Hope Probe takes off for Mars later this year, it will be carrying the UAE Nation Brand's logo and its slogan 'Make It Happen', symbolising the Emirati pride and future-forward aspirations that the 'Seven Lines' represents. 
"Attaching the UAE Nation Brand to the Hope Probe is a celebration of the scientific milestones that the men and women of the UAE, from engineers and scientists to technicians and mathematicians, have achieved. It is also a clear symbol of our pride in this landmark project that is considered the greatest Arab project in space exploration," said Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, and chairman of the UAE Space Agency.
Designed by Emirati artists from across the country, the new brand logo represents the map of the UAE through the seven lines illustrated in the colours of the national flag.
The lines also represent the seven beacons, seven founders, and seven pillars that convey the ambitions of the UAE and its people.
Speaking on how the UAE Nation Brand's association with the Hope Probe can inspire generations to come, Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and Emirates Mars Mission Deputy Project Manager, said: "By attaching the UAE Nation Brand to the Hope Probe, we are showing that the essence of our identity, principles, objectives and actions are not bound by earthly limitations. We are capable of going to space and back.
"We have built a nation that does not think there is such a thing as 'impossible', as we forever etch the UAE's name into the history books of space exploration, as we become the first Arab country to go to Mars."
Probing Mars
The UAE Government had announced that the Hope Probe, which is the core of the Emirates Mars Mission, will be launched in July this year. It is expected to reach Red Planet in the first quarter of 2021, coinciding with the nation's golden jubilee.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), said: "The Hope Probe is a result of the untiring efforts of an impressive team of pioneering scientists, researchers and technicians. They will work with a team of individuals from across the world to provide more answers about the Red Planet than we've ever had access to at any time before."
The probe will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan, and its journey is expected to take seven to nine months before it arrives in Mars. Called Al Amal in Arabic, the Hope Probe will become the first to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers.
It will help answer key questions about the planet's environment and the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases in space. The spacecraft is also expected to collect more than 1,000GB of new data on Mars. This first-of-its-kind data collection will then be stored at a specialised national centre and shared with the global scientific community for free.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

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