In pics | UAE launches Arab world's first Mars mission Amal from Japan
A successful mission to Mars would be a major step for the UAE to seek a future in space. The country has set a goal to build a human colony on Mars by 2117
A United Arab Emirates Mars orbiter named Amal, or Hope, lifts-off from a Japanese launch centre on July 20 for a seven-month journey to Mars. The Arab world’s first interplanetary mission is scheduled to be followed in the next few days by China and the United States. Spacecraft Amal blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Centre aboard a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H-IIA rocket after being delayed for five days by bad weather. (Image: MHI via AP)
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Emirati scientists worked with researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California, Berkeley, and Arizona State University. The spacecraft was assembled at Boulder and transported to Japan as the two countries looked to expand their ties. (Image: MHI via AP)
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An H-IIA rocket with United Arab Emirates' Mars orbiter lifts off from Tanegashima Space Centre in Kagoshima, southern Japan on July 20. Amal is set to reach Mars in February 2021, the year UAE celebrates 50 years of its formation. (Image: Kyodo News via AP)
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At Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, Emirati men and women watched the lift-off. Emirati men clap as they watch the launch of Amal space probe. (Image: AP)
An Emirati man watches the launch of Amal space probe at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on July 20. (Image: AP)
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A new member in the club of space development, the UAE has successfully put three Earth observation satellites into orbit. Two were developed by South Korea and launched by Russia, and a third, Amal, launched by Japan. (Image: Kyodo News via AP)
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A successful mission to Mars would be a major step for the UAE to seek a future in space. The country has set a goal to build a human colony on Mars by 2117. (Image: Kyodo News via AP)
