CONTEXT:

• The UAE Space Agency and Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have announced 85 percent completion of the gulf nation’s ‘Hope Probe’ project.
• The probe is an ambitious dream project of the UAE to send a mission to Mars.
• The two space organizations confirmed in a joint statement that most of the main parts of the project have been completed and are currently undergoing intensive testing to ensure every aspect of the Probe is ready for activation a few months before the launch date.

BACKGROUND:

• The probe is scheduled to be launched in July 2020. With its successful launch, UAE hopes to become the first Arabic and Islamic country to make the Mars Mission dream a reality.
• Mars exploration project will be able to take a global picture of the Martian atmosphere.
• The probe is planned to reach Mars by 2021 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE.