MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United Arab Emirates’ upcoming Mars mission is of great significance for the whole mankind, Simonetta Di Pippo, the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), told the WAM news agency.
According to the official, the mission shows that “the UAE is becoming really a main player in the space arena”. The UN agency, therefore, is waiting for the Mars probe’s launch with “excitement”.
The mission, also known as Hope Probe, is set to lift off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 01:58 a.m. UAE time on Monday (21:58 GMT on Sunday).
The Hope spacecraft was delivered to the Tanegashima spaceport back in April. The mission’s main goal is to study the atmosphere and climate of Mars.
Sourse: sputniknews.com