The UAE’s mission to Mars will help the country find its “own version of Elon Musk and Bill Gates” even if the nation fails to reach Mars, a senior official has said.
Omran Sharaf, mission director, told The National that the goal of the Hope probe was to create a disruptive change in society that would inspire young people to pursue careers in Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths).
The spacecraft is less than a week away from attempting to enter the Martian orbit, a process that has only a 50 per cent success rate.
“There was a vision and goals we wanted to achieve – based on that the team designed a programme within this mission to create an impact,” Mr Sharaf said.
“The mission was launched in 2014 and, in that timeframe, you see the language of a whole generation and priorities change. Instead of pupils wanting to work in real estate or in finance sector, they talk about being entrepreneurs and innovators – being the future Elon Musk and Bill Gates of the UAE.”
Space is a relatively new sector in the UAE, but the country has already invested more than Dh22 billion in it.
Several key milestones have been achieved, including sending the first Emirati into space, building satellites in-house, launching the first Arab mission to Mars and now engineers are working on a lunar mission.
The nation’s space strategy has included collaborating with more experienced space agencies, like US’ Nasa, European Space Agency and Russia’s Roscosmos, to build on the UAE’s own capabilities.
For the Mars mission, for example, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre worked with three American universities to help build the science instruments for the Hope probe.
To train its astronaut corps, Emirati astronauts are being sent to Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre for intensive training, which will help them qualify for Nasa-led missions in future.
However, to make the sector more sustainable, there has been a major push for space-focused subjects and degrees across UAE schools and universities.
Now, Mr Sharaf thinks other countries can use the UAE’s model as an example for building their own space sector.
“When we started, nobody was interested,” he said. “But, now, to see the way the Ministry of Education have change their curriculums and how schools and universities reacted, it’s amazing.
“I don't think any nation took a similar approach as the UAE when it comes to actually creating an impact and creating a disruptive change so fast.”
If the Hope probe manages to enter the Martian orbit, it will make the UAE the fifth nation worldwide to reach the Red Planet.
The data that will be retrieved from the mission will further boost Stem-related fields across the country, Mr Sharaf believes.
The spacecraft will attempt to enter orbit on February 9, at 7.42pm Gulf Standard Time.
Pupils watch Hazza Al Mansouri's launch into space - in pictures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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SPEC%20SHEET
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
ARGYLLE
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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