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UAE extends Emirates Mars Mission until 2028
The announcement was made by Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Sports and Chairman of UAE Space Agency
- PUBLISHED: Tue 17 Feb 2026, 12:18 PM UPDATED: Tue 17 Feb 2026, 1:25 PM
The UAE Space Agency announced the extension of the Emirates Mars Mission until 2028 during a press conference on Tuesday.
The announcement was made by Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Sports and Chairman of UAE Space Agency, during a press conference on the latest updates on the Emirates Mars Mission (the Hope Probe).
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The extension, which adds three additional years to the mission, was announced with the support of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Space Council.
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Dr Noora Al Saeed, Principal Investigator of EMM, highlighted the mission’s groundbreaking achievements, including the Hope Probe’s recent observations of Comet C/2023 A3 (Atlas), the third-known object from outside our solar system to be discovered passing through our celestial neighborhood.
The rare discovery provides scientists with a unique opportunity to study material from another star system, as the probe captured detailed images of volatile gases ejecting from the comet as it approached the sun.
Since entering Martian orbit in 2021, the Hope Probe has exceeded expectations by cataloguing Martian dust storms throughout an entire Martian year, discovering unexpected complex structures in the planet’s upper atmosphere, and capturing the highest-resolution images ever taken of Mars’ moon Deimos.
The mission has collected over 10 terabytes of data which is ten times the original target of 1 terabyte, all shared freely with the international scientific community through 16 data releases.
The mission extension will enable researchers to collect additional Mars years of data, unlocking hundreds of years of potential research opportunities.
The extended mission will focus on understanding the complex connection between Mars’ lower and upper atmospheres, with findings expected to improve atmospheric models not only for Mars but also for Earth.
“Every additional Mars year of data that we get is going to unlock hundreds of years of research,” Dr Noora stated.
Originally designed for one Martian year (two Earth years), the probe has now operated for five Earth years and — following technical evaluation confirming its excellent condition — will continue until 2028.
The team has also emphasised the mission’s significant national impact, noting a 31 per cent increase in STEM enrollment between 2020 and 2025, with over 35 scientific papers published and more than 250 scientific participations in international conferences. The mission has also trained 58 Emirati students through university research programmes.
The UAE became the fifth nation to reach Mars and the second nation to succeed on its first attempt a historic achievement accomplished during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, the mission transformed the nation from a consumer of scientific data to a producer, with its findings now informing future missions including the UAE’s asteroid belt exploration project.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.
