UAE's Hope Mars Mission postponed due to weather conditions, check new date here

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has postponed the launch of its first interplanetary mission to the Red Planet titled ‘Hope Mission Mars’ to July 16 at 20:43 GMT from July 14 at 20:51:27 GMT. The UAE Space Agency has been counting each day until its Mars orbiter named Amal or Hope Probe is launched into Mars orbit for at least two years and make the first-off global map of the planet’s climate across seasons. The UAE Space Agency and its collaborators have cited the weather conditions for announcing the 'new date' for the historic mission.

The UAE’s Hope would be lifted off on Japan’s H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. According to reports, the launch site director for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Keiji Suzuki had previously said that the final decision would be made before the launch of the historic mission. However, a seasonal downpour in the region is expected to cause lightening over the span of the next few days which poses a threat of delay to the Hope Mars Mission.

Despite the adversities, the UAE Space Agency has maintained the momentum of its first interplanetary mission to Mars on July 16.  NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine also recently joined the excitement with UAE Space Agency and posted about both organisations being partners ‘now and in the future’.

Read - Who Is Alyssa Carson? Learn About A 19-yr-old Aspiring Astronaut Prepping For Mars Mission

Read - Bad Weather May Delay 1st UAE Mars Mission On Japan Rocket

Suzuki had noted in a press briefing on July 13 that the thunders in the region before the launch of Hope Mars Mission is “not expected to be severe or lasting”. However, the UAE’s launch site director had informed that the entire team will make a decision based on the data. Heavy downpour has continued in Japan for more than seven days and it has also triggered mudslides and floods. The weather has caused the death of at least 70 people and most of them took place on the southern main island of Kyushu.

Hope to reach Mars in February 2021

UAE’s Hope is set to reach the Red Planet in February 2021 which is also the year that the country would celebrate the 50 years of its formation. The first interplanetary mission from the country would mark the ‘history-defining moment’ for its oil-dependent economy that is now seeking a future in the outer space. Emirates Mars Mission Project Director Omran Sharaf noted that the mission is not similar to the ones lead by other countries, instead, it would be the first one to give a wholesome view of Mars’ atmosphere during various seasons. Meanwhile, the United States and China have also planned their mission to the Martian planet in the upcoming days.

Read - Look Out, Mars: Here We Come With A Fleet Of Spacecraft

Read - Final Prep Before UAE Mars Mission Launch In Japan