According to the agreement, EIAST will implement all stages of the project under the supervision and direct funding from the Agency for a period of seven years, reported UAE’s News Agency WAM.
Sheikh Mohammed stressed that the project will be implemented under the supervision of Emirati working group in cooperation with international partner specialists.
“Today we embark on a seven year journey to develop the knowledge, skills and infrastructure needed to accomplish our goal to reach Mars,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
He added that the “sky is the limit for our ambitions but that requires a team determined enough to attain this,” and that the historic mission “lies ahead of us”, emphasizing that such a mission will be a national pride, a great Arab achievement, and a valuable contribution to science and humanity.
The UAE entered the global race to explore outer space in July 2014 when President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan unveiled the space agency and announced plans to launch a scientific voyage of discovery to the red planet by 2021. The announcements mark a turning point in the country’s development establishing space technology as a new drive for diversified economic growth. The Mars mission will enrich Emirati capabilities as well as increasing human knowledge about space exploration and distant planets.
The probe will take 9 months to make the journey to Mars. By this, the UAE will be one of only 9 countries with ambitions for Mars. The mission is scheduled to arrive in 2021 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the UAE.
UAE’s investments in space technologies has exceeded AED 20 billion (US$ 5.47 billion) including satellite data and TV broadcast company Al Yah Satellite Communications, mobile satellite communication company Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications, and Earth mapping and observation system Dubai Sat.
The event was attended by H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Khalifa Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the Board and the Emirates Space Agency, Mohammed Ahmed Al Qamzi, Chairman of Chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director General of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai.
Source: WAM
