Live: UAE Mars Mission – Hope Probe enters Mars orbit successfully

8.15pm

Success: The Hope Probe is in orbit around Mars.

تمت المهمة بنجاح

Mission Accomplished #العرب_إلى_المريخ pic.twitter.com/BxPQiJM0Sq

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) February 9, 2021

—-

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.

The Hope Probe has so far travelled 493 million kilometres in space since it was launched on July 20, 2020.

8.08pm

The Hope probe is expected to transmit the signal to enter Mars’ orbit any time now.

من المتوقع أن يقوم مسبار الأمل بارسال إشارة دخول مدار المريخ بعد أقل من دقيقتين. #العرب_إلى_المريخ @HopeMarsMission

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 9, 2021

7.55pm

The fuel burn has officially started and will reduce the speed of the Hope Probe from over 121,000km/h to approximately 18,000km/h.

.@HopeMarsMission: The command centre has confirmed that the fuel burn has begun.#ArabsToMars pic.twitter.com/LARRzfbVG5

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 9, 2021

7.47pm
Signals and processes all in place.

First check on Hope Probe from @mbrspacecentre shows all signals and processes running smoothly for Mars orbit insertion sequence.

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 9, 2021

7.45pm
Officially in the Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) phase.

The fuel burn will reduce the speed of the #HopeProbe from over 121,000 km/h to approximately 18,000 km/h#ArabsToMars

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

The historic moment is here. The Delta V thrusters of the #HopeProbe has been fired. We are officially in the Mars Orbit Insertion phase.#ArabsToMars

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

7.30pm

The world’s tallest tower in Dubai, Burj Khalifa, held a special show to mark the UAE’s Mars Mission.

The highest manmade point on earth projects the furthest distance reached by Arabs… #HopeMarsMission #ArabstoMars pic.twitter.com/OAzBBeI5v0

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 9, 2021

7.11pm
The UAE Hope probe’s entry stage into Mars orbit

مسبار الأمل – مرحلة الدخول إلى مدار المريخ https://t.co/ykL4MEzcQL

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

6.43 pm

1 more hour to go before MOI burn begins.#ArabsToMars #HopeProbe

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

Excited to see the power of partnerships on full display this morning with the @HopeMarsMission‘s attempt to enter Mars’ orbit. @CUBoulder and @LASPatCU helped make this mission possible. @UAEUSAUNITED https://t.co/lBzhqSujvv

— CU President Mark Kennedy (@CUMarkKennedy) February 9, 2021

6.30pm

What is the Hope Probe’s capture orbit, which it will enter if it successfully completes the Mars Orbit Insertion?

What is the Hope Probe’s capture orbit, which the Hope Probe will enter after successfully completing Mars Orbit Insertion?@MBRSpaceCentre @HopeMarsMission pic.twitter.com/C5zM1KfREM

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 9, 2021

6.15 pm

The UAE Hope Probe is 16,000 km away from Mars. Speed of the probe is 76,307 km/hr.

5.45 pm

2 hours to go. Stay tuned to witness the moment that speaks for the culmination of 7 continuous years of hard work.#ArabsToMars #HopeProbe pic.twitter.com/prmWs5YQje

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

5.30pm

The UAE Hope Probe is 25,000 km away from Mars. Speed of the probe is 76,626 km/hr.

5.15pm

Those travelling via the Dubai International Airport can also watch the journey of the UAE’s Hope Probe to Mars live later today.

“If you’re travelling through DXB tonight, stop by the big screen near gates B26 and watch history in the making as the UAE Mars Hope Probe enters the orbit of Mars for the first time. Streaming live from 7pm, in Concourse B near Gate 26,” Dubai Airports tweeted.

If you’re travelling through DXB tonight, stop by the big screen near gates B26 and watch history in the making as the UAE Mars Hope Probe enters the orbit of Mars for the first time. Streaming live from 7pm, in Concourse B near Gate 26 #arabstomars pic.twitter.com/K72oDqpUci

— Dubai Airports (@DubaiAirports) February 9, 2021

4.43pm

3 hours to go before the MOI burn begins! The ground stations and command centre at @MBRSpaceCentre will track the #HopeProbe during MOI until it goes behind #Mars#ArabsToMars

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

4.40pm

Dubai Opera dons a red hue to welcome the probe’s arrival to Mars

#DubaiOpera proudly lights up in red to commemorate yet another milestone of the UAE with their first mission to Mars, and in support of the arrival of #HopeProbe on the red planet. #HopeMarsMission #ArabsToMars @DubaiOpera pic.twitter.com/f970KuzB2c

— Emaar Dubai (@emaardubai) February 9, 2021

3.00pm

Visitors arriving at UAE airports are receiving a Martian Ink stamp on their passports, to commemorate the probe’s arrival to the red planet.

Read: In pictures: Passengers arriving to the UAE receive ‘Martian ink’ passport stamp

1.47pm

In another 6 hours, #HopeProbe will begin the burn that will place it in #Mars orbit.#ArabsToMars

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

While the probe has a 50 per cent chance of success, the UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stressed that the mission has already “made history”.

Read: Sheikh Mohammed on Mars mission: ‘We’ve already made history’

Today, we are proud of our people, and the 100% Emirati team behind the Hope Probe mission.#ArabsToMars #HopeProbe

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

The Hope Probe took more than five million working hours to develop and involved the efforts of 200 Emirati male and female engineers.

Meet the determined, committed, and dedicated core team behind the Hope Probe. Meet most of our heroes, the heroes that have worked tirelessly for 7 continuous years to carry the UAE’s space ambitions to the Red Planet.#ArabsToMars #HopeProbe pic.twitter.com/N9DKcOjTGf

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

The UAE is now the first Arab country to launch a space mission to Mars, and if the mission is successful, it will be the fifth country to reach the red planet.

Once the Hope Probe enters the Mars orbit, it will orbit the planet and start gathering up to 1,000 gigabytes of scientific data about the Martian atmosphere. The data will be shared for free with 200 scientific and academic institutions around the world.

Also read: Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe: All you need to know