UAE's unmanned probe, Hope will be launched in July 2020 from Japan, making it the Arab World's first mission to the Red Planet, a senior Space scientist told Khaleej Times.
"We are delighted to launch the UAE's Mars explorer by the Japanese launch vehicle H-IIA from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan in 2020. We are confident that we will accomplish our responsibility, together with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries," said Yuichi Yamaura, Vice President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
He was speaking on the sidelines of the second day of the Global Space Congress held in the Capital. The two-day forum, held under the patronage of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was attended by more than 600 experts and focused greatly on the future of UAE's Space programme and Mars expeditions.
Yamaura pointed out that the H-IIA rocket model will also launch the satellite, KhalifaSat into Earth's orbit by 2018, which is built entirely by Emirati engineers.
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