UAE WILL SEND A PROBE TO MARS

The United Arab Emirates will be the first in the Arab world to create a space probe that will travel to Mars in 2021, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, said. "Our goal is to stand on a par with the leading countries in the field of space research by 2021," the head of state said. According to him, the launch of the first space program will contribute to the technological development of the country, the formation of national personnel in this area. It is planned that the UAE space probe will travel 60 million kilometers in nine months, and its arrival on Mars will coincide with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE state. The program will be led by Emirate experts.

As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, specified, a specially created UAE Space Agency will oversee all space research projects. This organization, which is being created under the Emirate government, will contribute to the development of the space industry as a sector based on scientific knowledge and designed to diversify the national economy, and subsequently help to enhance the country's role as a global player in the aerospace market. The agency will report on its activities to the cabinet. The UAE has already spent about US $ 20 billion on the development of the space industry. This, in particular, is about satellites for television broadcasting and communications. Leaders of the state are confident that the initiative will contribute to the intellectual development of the young generation.