The Hope Probe will carry with it the UAE Nation Brand’s logo and its accompanying slogan Image Credit:

Dubai The Hope Probe will carry with it the UAE Nation Brand’s logo and its accompanying slogan “Make it Happen” when the spacecraft built by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre takes off for Mars later this year. The brand’s placement on the probe, called Al-Amal in Arabic, symbolises the future-forward aspirations that the new brand represents.

Designed by seven Emirati artists from each emirate, the UAE Nation Brand represents the map of the UAE through the seven lines designed in the colours of the national flag. The “seven lines” design also represents the seven beacons, seven founders and seven pillars that convey the ambitions of the UAE’s visionary leadership and its people. The brand, which was voted for by more than 10.6 million people worldwide, reaffirms the notion that the UAE’s ambitions are limitless, that the word “impossible” is not in the nation’s vocabulary. This message of aspiration and pathfinding for future generations will be emblazoned on both the Hope Probe spacecraft and the rocket that will carry it.

Scientific milestones

Speaking on the announcement, Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Chairman of the UAE Space agency, said: “Attaching the UAE Nation Brand to the Hope Probe is a celebration of the scientific milestones that the men and women of the UAE, from engineers and scientists to technicians and mathematicians, have achieved. It is also a clear symbol of our pride in this landmark national project that is considered the greatest Arab project in the field of space exploration.”

Al Falasi added: “The UAE Nation Brand evokes our nation’s capabilities, its efforts to become a leading modern, ambitious people that has the trailblazing foresight and vision to drive the future world forwards.

“Ours is a nation that is constantly evolving and progressing; it is a nation that has proved, day-in, day-out, that the answer to rapid advances is not in the availability of resources, but in the successful management of them. With the wellbeing of its people at the forefront of its national agenda, the UAE and its wise leadership have created a place where future generations have the best chances of thriving and prospering.”

He further added: “The UAE Nation Brand tells the story of our country’s rich history and its many milestones. As such, the development and design of the UAE Nation Brand draws parallels with the building of the Hope Probe. The seven lines represent seven national pillars through the seven founders. Similarly, the Hope Probe carries the names of Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the UAE’s seven emirates in addition to Their Highnesses the Crown Princes. This tells of the support our modern country enjoys – through the sons and grandsons of our founding fathers.”

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and Emirates Mars Mission Deputy Project Manager, said: “The Emirates Mars Mission, set to be the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere, is the pinnacle of the UAE’s rapid scientific development. Its design and construction are a testament to the UAE’s admirable efforts to plan for the future, and reflects an inspirational national identity we are all immensely proud of.”

Essence of identity

Al Amiri added: “The Hope Probe is proof that nothing is impossible and that all dreams are achievable, as long as we are blessed with a leadership that always wants the best for its people. By attaching the UAE Nation Brand to the Hope Probe we are showing that the essence of our identity, principles, objectives and actions are not bound by earthly limitations; we are capable of going to space and back. We have built a nation that does not think there is such a thing as “impossible”, as we forever etch the UAE’s name into the history books of space exploration, as we become the first Arab country to go to Mars.”

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said: “Attaching the UAE Nation Brand to the Hope Probe is an appropriate expression for what the new brand represents to the people of this nation. It reinforces the notion that we live in a nation that does not acknowledge or believe in the impossible and one that has cultivated a culture built on ambition and achieving dreams through determination and hard work.

“The Hope Probe is a result of the untiring efforts of an impressive team of pioneering scientists, researchers and technicians. They will work with a team of individuals from across the world to provide more answers about the Red Planet than we’ve ever had access to at any time before.

The Hope Probe will take seven-nine months to land on the Red Planet

Al Mansoori added: “The UAE’s aerospace manufacturing is growing rapidly, with multiple ongoing projects that collectively contribute towards our ambitious objectives in the fields of technology, and which combine to increase the value of the UAE Nation Brand – which stands as a symbol of pride and achievement, and which can inspire upcoming aerospace projects reach further than ever before.”

The UAE Government had announced that the Hope Probe, which is the core of the Emirates Mars Mission, will be launched in July 2020. It is expected to reach Mars in the first quarter of 2021, to coincide with the nation’s Golden Jubilee Year.

What is the Hope Probe?

The Hope Probe will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre (TNSC) in Japan, where it will be transported in a rocket similar to those used to launch satellites into space. It is expected to take the Hope Probe seven to nine months to arrive at the Red Planet.

The Hope Probe will become the first to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers when it reaches the red planet in 2021. It will help answer key questions about the Martian atmosphere and the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases in space. The spacecraft is is also expected to collect more than 1,000 GB of new data on Mars – this first-of-its-kind data collection will then be stored at a specialised national data centre, where technical teams will analyse it, before it is shared for free with the global scientific community.