Indian scientist conveys best wishes for success of Hope Probe, UAE’s maiden mission

A senior space scientist from India said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has “a positive outlook” on the Hope Probe’s success, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).

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“We have a positive outlook on Hope and wish the very best for this maiden mission from UAE to Mars,” R. Umamaheswaran, Distinguished Scientist and Scientific Secretary at ISRO, said in an email interview to WAM from Bengaluru.

He commented as the Hope Probe’s Mars orbit insertion success is expected to be determined on Tuesday evening UAE time. That delicate phase will decide the success of the mission.

India was the first Asian country and the fourth globally to join the exclusive club that have reached Mars alongside the US, Russia and the European Space Agency.

With its indigenously made unmanned spacecraft, India became the first nation in the world to successfully reach Mars on its first attempt in 2014.
If the Hope Probe successfully reaches Mars, the UAE will become the fifth member of that elite club.

Umamaheswaran added that the Hope Probe’s success “will expand the global team that can coordinate and jointly plan future missions to Mars.”

“It is an exciting opportunity as the UAE’s Hope mission approaches Mars for an orbit injection. The successful approach to Mars provides renewed confidence in the upcoming phases of the mission,” he said.

“Science results from this mission will be useful for planning subsequent Mars missions globally including that of India’s next Mars mission.

“It will also open up new avenues of cooperation globally. Once we get a chance to see the early results, we can explore such possibility,” Umamaheswaran said.

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