It’s been a whole year since the Hope Probe successfully entered Mars orbit and milestones like that deserve celebrations. It has circled the Red Planet 170 times since entering its orbit on February 9, 2021 through a historic Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) that planted the UAE paces ahead in the space race. 

To mark the very first anniversary of the probe launch, its observations and achievements are being put into the spotlight. Completing one round every 55 hours, it has registered several scientific achievements by documenting phenomena that were previously under the covers. 

Some of the fascinating discoveries include an in-depth analysis of the Martian atmosphere, revealing the presence of the ‘Discrete Aurora’s phenomenon, Martian water-ice clouds, images of the heavily cratered region known as Arabia Terra, a fully-illuminated hemisphere and huge dust storms. 

Having undertaken a seven-month journey across 493 million kilometres through space, the Emirates Mars Mission – Hope Probe is set to continue its exploration mission until the middle of 2023, with the possibility of receiving a two-year extension.