UAE sent its first mars mission (even first among the Arab nations) an unmanned probe called Al-Amal, or Hope from coast of Japan.
Trajectory:
The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest.
In October, Mars will be comparatively short 38.6m miles (62m km) from Earth, according to NASA.
Hope is expected to reach Mars's orbit by February 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE, an alliance of seven emirates.
Unlike the two other Mars ventures scheduled for this year, it will not land on the planet, but instead orbit it for a whole Martian year, or 687 days.
Objective of Hope:
Provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in the red planet's atmosphere.
Foundation for a much bigger goal -- building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.
Serve as a source of inspiration for Arab youth.
The UAE's government declared the probe launch a "message of pride, hope and peace to the Arab region, in which we renew the golden age of Arab and Islamic discoveries.