UAE s Hope orbiter on course for arrival at Mars – Spaceflight Now spaceflightnow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from spaceflightnow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UAE’s Hope spacecraft will try entering Mars’ orbit on Tuesday, putting the Gulf state on track to become the fifth spacefaring power to reach the Red Planet.
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The UAE’s Hope Probe will begin the toughest part of its journey to enter Mars’ orbit today at 7.42 pm (UAE time).
The Mars Orbital Insertion process, which will last 27 ‘dark’ minutes, is the most critical aspect of the mission, with details expected by around 8.10- 8.15pm.
Nearly half of the fuel will be spent to slow the probe down enough to capture Mars’ orbit. The fuel burn will last approximately 30 minutes and reduces the speed of the spacecraft from over 121,000 km/h to approximately 18,000 km/h.
Since the Mars Orbit Insertion phase is as critical as the launch phase, the spacecraft will need to be commissioned again and the instruments onboard tested before the transition to science phase, according to the Emirates Mars Mission website.