Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has given the greenlight to start manufacturing prototypes of the country’s Mars probe, the first of its kind in the Arab World.

Sheikh Mohammed reviewed the designs of Hope Probe while visiting the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to open the second phase of UAE satellite manufacturing and assembling complex, a multitasking facility capable of handling several space projects at a time.

 The project will send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021, as part of the Emirates Mars Mission, marking the UAE’s 50th National Day.

“A UAE ambition 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,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

Signalling the beginning of manufacturing process, Sheikh 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 0.7 metres panchromatic and 4 meters in multispectral bands to governmental and commercial entities and corporations worldwide.

“The UAE today has the full capacity to manufacture and build satellites with any foreign technical support. We are planning to become a leading regional hub for space industries and we will continue developing Emirati workforce highly specialized in space technologies,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The Hope Probe that was launched in 2015 will leave Earth in 2020 travelling more than 60 million kilometres in nine months and will be launched to coincide with the UAE’s 50th anniversary.

During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed also inaugurated a house that is fully powered by solar energy with the same solar technology used space industries. The house is built with smart engineering solutions that fit the hot and humid climates. The technologies includes water cooling systems, heat and air insulations, air filtration and ventilation systems and smart operation system. The house is made of treated wood without any steel elements.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) launched this project as part of its research efforts in sustainability and green buildings. The house uses energy production and storing technologies similar to the technologies used in building satellites and space shuttles. – TradeArabia News Service