| UPDATED: 15:22, Mon, Feb 8, 2021
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The Emirates Mars Mission, aiming to make the UAE only the fifth nation to ever reach the Red Planet, will enter this desolate world’s orbit at 3.57pm GMT on Tuesday, February 9. But having successfully navigating its seven-month-long and 115.5 million mile (186 million km) journey to Earth’s neighbour, the Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe is now fast-approaching the historic voyage’s most critical element. This involves slowing the spacecraft from its 75,000mph (121,000kmh) cruising speed to something nearer to 11,000mph (18,000kmh).
Patrick Rowan’s Skywatch: Mars probes set to begin search for life
Updated Feb 03, 2021;
Posted Feb 03, 2021
A rendering of NASA s Perseverance rover on Mars. The rover launched on July 30, 2020 from Cape Canaveral, Fla. It is expected to reach Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. It will look for signs of ancient life on the Mars and conduct experiments that could pave the way future astronaut missions.NASA
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This is an important month in the history of space exploration as probes from three nations including two rovers seeking evidence of life arrive at Mars.
First to launch was the United Arab Emirates’ Hope orbiter on July 19, 2020 their debut mission. That was followed on July 23 by China’s premier Mars mission, Tianwen-1, which includes a fly-by, an orbiter, a lander and a rover.
On February 9, the United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft is expected to enter orbit around Mars after a six-month, 300-million-mile journey from Earth. It will mark the beginning of a historic month for the Red Planet, which will see three separate national missions enter orbit or touch down on the surface. Two of the countries behind these missions, the UAE and China, will be visiting Mars for the first time; they will become the fifth and sixth countries to pull off that feat, respectively. The third mission, launched by NASA, is expected to become the United States’ 15th mission to successfully orbit or land on Mars.