His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, reviewed the designs of Hope Probe, as part of the Emirates Mars Mission.

The project will send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021 marking the UAE’s 50th National Day.

Shaikh Mohammed gave green light to start manufacturing the probe’s prototypes, the Arab world’s first Mars probe. The project place the UAE with the nine countries that aim to explore Mars.

Shaikh Mohammed said:

“UAE ambitions is to explore the outer space. We are investing in our national cadres to lead this project and contribute in expanding our knowledge about Mars. Hope Probe is a qualitative leap for UAE’s scientific efforts, it the first contribution for the Arab world in this regard”.

Shaikh Mohammed’s remarks came while visiting the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to opens the 2nd phase of UAE satellite manufacturing and assembling complex, a multitasking facility capable of handling several space projects at a time.

Signaling the beginning of manufacturing process, Shaikh Mohammed installed the first part of KhalifaSat, the first Arab satellite which is being built purely by Emirati engineering and expertise in the UAE. KhalifaSat is set to launch in 2018.

KhalifaSat provides satellite imaging capabilities at an industry competitive Ground Sampling Distance of 0.7m panchromatic and 4m in multispectral bands to governmental and commercial entities and corporations worldwide.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation; Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future; and Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director General of Dubai Protocol Department accompanied Shaikh Mohammed during the visit. More info

By WAM  www.khaleejtimes.com

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