Sheikh Mohammed congratulates China on Tianwen-1 reaching Mars

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has congratulated China on its Tianwen-1 spacecraft reaching Mars.

The orbiter-rover entered Mars orbit less than 24 hours after the UAE made history by becoming the fifth space agency to reach the Red Planet.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Mohammed congratulated China's President Xi Jinping on the achievement by Tianwen-1.

“On the occasion of the successful arrival of Tianwen-1 on Mars, I would like to congratulate the People’s Republic of China and President Xi Jinping on their great achievements,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“Space and Mars have opened up a new stage for scientific co-operation and created new opportunities for humanity to build a better future.”

The spacecraft's on-board monitoring camera captured footage of it entering Martian orbit.

This screengrab taken from handout video received from the China National Space Administration on February 13, 2021 shows the view of Mars from China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft as it circles the planet in space on February 12. AFP / CNSA

Tianwen-1 will attempt a landing in May for a 90-day exploration journey on the Martian surface. It will study the planet’s soil and rock composition and search for signs of buried water ice.

Landing missions have a high failure rate. Tianwen-1 will use a parachute, backfiring rockets and airbags in its bid to accomplish the difficult task.

It will attempt to land within Utopia Planitia, the largest impact basin known so far in the solar system. The target spot will be south of where Nasa’s Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976.

This is China’s second attempt at reaching Mars.

In 2011, it lost its Yinghuo-1 spacecraft after the Russian rocket carrying it failed mid-flight.

Nasa’s Perseverance rover is expected to reach the Red Planet on February 18.

At a cost of $2.7 billion, the nuclear-powered rover is one the most expensive Mars missions to date.

It is the world’s first return mission to Mars and will aim to bring back collected samples to Earth by 2031, through a joint Nasa and European Space Agency project.

The rover will collect rock core and soil samples near the Jezero Crater, an area on the planet that contained a lake and river delta billions of years ago.

The rover also has a mini ‘helicopter’ on board, that will be deployed on landing. This will scout areas of interest and help plan driving routes for future missions.

Tianwen-1 lifts off into space - in pictures

A Long March-5 rocket, carrying an orbiter, lander and rover as part of the Tianwen-1 mission to Mars, lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in southern China's Hainan Province in 2020. AFP

The Long March 5 Y-4 rocket, carrying an unmanned Mars probe of the Tianwen-1 mission, takes off from Wenchang Space Launch Center in Wenchang, Hainan Province, China. REUTERS

Liu Tongjie, spokesman for China's Mars exploration mission, talks to the media before the launch of Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission by Long March 5 Y-4 rocket, at Wenchang Space Launch Center in Wenchang, Hainan Province, China. REUTERS

The Long March 5 Y-4 rocket, carrying an unmanned Mars probe of the Tianwen-1 mission, is seen before the launch at Wenchang Space Launch Center in Wenchang, Hainan Province, China. REUTERS

A Long March-5 rocket is seen at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province, Friday, July 17, 2020. AP

This photo taken on July 17, 2020 shows a Long March 5 rocket being transferred before a planned launch in Wenchang in China's southern Hainan province. AFP

A child whispers to a woman as they visit an exhibition depicting rovers and bio-domes in Mars, in Beijing. AP Photo

A replica of Mars lander and rovers on display at a shopping mall in Beijing, China. EPA

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VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

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Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away

It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.

The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.

But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.

At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.

The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.

Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.

And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.

At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.

And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.

* Agence France Presse

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