This is a year of landmark space missions. 'The National' looks at the five most exciting ones.
This is a year of landmark space missions. 'The National' looks at the five most exciting ones.
The UAE's Hope probe (pictured) arrived on Mars in February. It will studied why the planet's atmosphere is being stripped away, making it impossible for life to exist.
The UAE's Hope probe (pictured) arrived on Mars in February. It will studied why the planet's atmosphere is being stripped away, making it impossible for life to exist.
China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft includes a Mars orbiter and a rover. Pictured is the Long March-5 rocket that carried Tianwen-1 into space.
China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft includes a Mars orbiter and a rover. Pictured is the Long March-5 rocket that carried Tianwen-1 into space.
Nasa's Perseverance rover landed on Mars on February. The return mission brought back Mars soil and rock samples. This is a computer-generated image of the rover.
Nasa's Perseverance rover landed on Mars on February. The return mission brought back Mars soil and rock samples. This is a computer-generated image of the rover.
The James Webb Space Telescope is set to be the most advanced space observatory. It will orbit the Sun and will be able to see what the universe looked like millions of years ago. It is expected to be launched on October 31.
The James Webb Space Telescope is set to be the most advanced space observatory. It will orbit the Sun and will be able to see what the universe looked like millions of years ago. It is expected to be launched on October 31.
Nasa will launch a return mission to the Moon. The Space Launch System, world's most powerful rocket (pictured), will carry the Orion spacecraft into space as part of the Artemis 1 mission. Orion will orbit the Moon for several days. If successful, it will pave the way for a crewed flight to the Moon in 2023. Courtesy: Nasa
Nasa will launch a return mission to the Moon. The Space Launch System, world's most powerful rocket (pictured), will carry the Orion spacecraft into space as part of the Artemis 1 mission. Orion will orbit the Moon for several days. If successful, it will pave the way for a crewed flight to the Moon in 2023. Courtesy: Nasa
2021 will also be the year of space tourism. Actor Tom Cruise, director Doug Liman and another private citizen will fly to the International Space Station as part of a private space flight with a company called Axiom. Mr Cruise and Mr Liman will film a movie there. Russia will also try to film a move in space around the same time. SpaceX is providing the ride. IMDb
2021 will also be the year of space tourism. Actor Tom Cruise, director Doug Liman and another private citizen will fly to the International Space Station as part of a private space flight with a company called Axiom. Mr Cruise and Mr Liman will film a movie there. Russia will also try to film a move in space around the same time. SpaceX is providing the ride. IMDb
In July, Nasa was set to launch a mission that would deliberately crash a spacecraft (artist impression is pictured) into an asteroid's moon to change the space rock's course.
In July, Nasa was set to launch a mission that would deliberately crash a spacecraft (artist impression is pictured) into an asteroid's moon to change the space rock's course.

Science

The Moon, Mars and Tom Cruise's biggest stunt yet: five landmark space missions in 2021

From deliberately crashing into an asteroid to bringing back Mars soil samples, space exploration will answer key scientific questions this year

Sarwat Nasir
Sarwat Nasir
UAE

February 07, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

The year ahead will be dominated by landmark space missions that will help scientists unlock secrets of the universe, protect Earth from asteroid collisions and allow citizens to blast off into the skies.

Three missions arriving on Mars in February will be the launchpad for a remarkable space journey over the next 12 months.

The UAE's Hope spacecraft will be the first to reach the Red Planet, followed by China's Tianwen-1 and America's Perseverance rover.

Missions that look beyond Mars will take off in the coming months, including the launch of the long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope. The most advanced space observatory, it will be used to study distant planets and galaxies.

The first rocket launch of 2021 occurred when SpaceX sent a communications satellite into space. But it is only the beginning of what is expected to be a stellar year for space exploration.

The National looks at some of the most exciting space missions of 2021.

The race to Mars

From the trio of spacecraft speeding towards Mars, the UAE's Hope probe will be the first to arrive.

With orbit insertion scheduled for February 9, the spacecraft will study the Red Planet’s upper and lower atmosphere.

The findings will help scientists research why the planet’s atmosphere is being stripped away, making it impossible for life to exist there. It will also capture data on its climate.

A new study suggests that conditions on Mars nearly 4 billion years ago may have made ancient life there more likely.
A new study suggests that conditions on Mars nearly 4 billion years ago may have made ancient life there more likely.
The surface of Mars. NASA
The surface of Mars. NASA
Collage showing Mars’s Maumee valleys (top half) superimposed with channels on Devon Island in Nunavut (bottom half) The share of the channels, as well as the overall network appears almost identical. Courtesy Cal-Tech CTX mosaic and MAXAR/Esri
Collage showing Mars’s Maumee valleys (top half) superimposed with channels on Devon Island in Nunavut (bottom half) The share of the channels, as well as the overall network appears almost identical. Courtesy Cal-Tech CTX mosaic and MAXAR/Esri
Co-author Mark Jellinek of UBC looking towards the Devon ice cap, standing on rocks that are more than a million years old. Courtesy Anna Grau Galofre
Co-author Mark Jellinek of UBC looking towards the Devon ice cap, standing on rocks that are more than a million years old. Courtesy Anna Grau Galofre
UBC researchers have concluded that the early Martian landscape probably looked similar to this image of the Devon ice cap in the Canadian Arctic. Courtesy Anna Grau Galofre
UBC researchers have concluded that the early Martian landscape probably looked similar to this image of the Devon ice cap in the Canadian Arctic. Courtesy Anna Grau Galofre

China's Tianwen-1 mission will reach a day after the Hope probe, and includes an orbiter and rover that will perform a global survey of the planet. It has seven scientific instruments that will be used to map the morphology and geological structure of Mars, study the water and ice distribution, measure characteristics of the planet's climate and environment at surface and collect data on its internal structure.

The Perseverance rover is expected to land on the surface on February 18. At a cost of about $2.46 billion, it is one of Nasa's most ambitious and expensive space endeavours. The mission aims to return samples back to Earth in efforts to discover possible signs of life.

The advanced spacecraft is the first with a miniature helicopter able to fly from another planet. The rover shoots out laser beams that will help break apart Mars rocks for research purposes, and the machine will dig into the Martian soil.

Decades of research on Mars has helped scientists learn that ancient life may have once existed there, and upcoming data will help them uncover more on the mysterious planet.

World’s most advanced telescope

Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope is, perhaps, the mission most eagerly anticipated by astronomers.

It is the world’s most advanced observatory, with the ability to see what the universe looked like millions years ago.

It has been in the works for 18 years and its development cost is estimated to be $10 billion.

Helix Nebula is a phase when a star like the Sun runs out of fuel, it expands and its outer layers puff off, and then the core of the star shrinks. All photos: Nasa
Helix Nebula is a phase when a star like the Sun runs out of fuel, it expands and its outer layers puff off, and then the core of the star shrinks. All photos: Nasa
This Cartwheel Galaxy resembles a bull's eye, which is appropriate because its appearance is partly due to a smaller galaxy that passed through the middle of this object.
This Cartwheel Galaxy resembles a bull's eye, which is appropriate because its appearance is partly due to a smaller galaxy that passed through the middle of this object.
On February 24, 1987, observers in the southern hemisphere saw a new object in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. This was one of the brightest supernova explosions in centuries and soon became known as Supernova 1987A.
On February 24, 1987, observers in the southern hemisphere saw a new object in a nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. This was one of the brightest supernova explosions in centuries and soon became known as Supernova 1987A.
Messier 82, or M82, is a galaxy that is oriented edge-on to Earth. This gives astronomers an interesting view of what happens as this galaxy undergoes bursts of star formations.
Messier 82, or M82, is a galaxy that is oriented edge-on to Earth. This gives astronomers an interesting view of what happens as this galaxy undergoes bursts of star formations.
Galaxy clusters are the largest objects in the universe held together by gravity. They contain enormous amounts of superheated gas, with temperatures of tens of millions of degrees, which glow brightly in X-rays and can be observed across millions of light years between galaxies.
Galaxy clusters are the largest objects in the universe held together by gravity. They contain enormous amounts of superheated gas, with temperatures of tens of millions of degrees, which glow brightly in X-rays and can be observed across millions of light years between galaxies.
What will be the next star in our Milky Way galaxy to explode as a supernova? Astronomers aren't certain, but one candidate is in Eta Carinae, a volatile system containing two massive stars that closely orbit each other.
What will be the next star in our Milky Way galaxy to explode as a supernova? Astronomers aren't certain, but one candidate is in Eta Carinae, a volatile system containing two massive stars that closely orbit each other.

The observatory is an advanced version of the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched in 1990 and has made numerous discoveries. Some of them include discovering Pluto’s two Moons, how the universe is expanding, measuring exoplanets – planets outside of our universe – and studying black holes.

The Hubble orbits around the Earth, but the James Webb telescope will orbit the Sun. It will be 1.5 million kilometres away from our planet, giving it an advantage of peeking further into deep space.

It is equipped with the world’s largest telescope mirror, measuring 6.5 metres.

To shield it from the Sun, the mirror will be kept at a temperature of -233 degrees Celsius. The telescope has a five-layer sunshield that is the size of a tennis court. It weakens the heat from the Sun by more than a million times.

The telescope’s launch is scheduled for October 31, on board the Ariane-5 rocket from Guiana Space Centre.

To the Moon and back

Nasa will send an uncrewed test flight to the Moon's orbit. Expected to launch in November, the Orion spacecraft will be carried to space on board the world's most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System.

It is part of the Artemis 1 mission, which is a stepping stone towards setting up a human base on the Moon.

Read More

Latest in UAE's space missions 

UAE's Hope probe to enter orbit in 30 days

The Artemis programme is being led by Nasa with an international collaboration. The mission will enable Moon rock mining, building a space station in the Moon’s orbit and establishing a human presence there, so humans can use it as a base from which to reach Mars.

Artemis 1’s spacecraft will use the Moon’s gravitational force to fly into an orbit 70,000 kilometres away.

Orion will stay there for six days, collecting data and allowing engineers to measure its performance. Then, it will be brought back to Earth for safe landing to see if future return missions are possible.

Artemis 2 is the first crewed flight, and is scheduled for a 2023 launch.

Another highlight of the mission is the Space Launch System. The world’s most powerful rocket engine, it can reach a speed of more than 28,000 kilometres per hour. It is expected to take astronauts to Mars one day.

Hollywood in space

Actor Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman are expected to fly to the International Space Station as part of a commercial space flight by a company called Axiom.

Another private citizen and a trained flight commander will join Cruise and Liman, who are filming the first movie in space.

'Gravity' (2013), starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, struck a chord with cinema-goers because it helped them understand the perils that astronauts take on so bravely as part of their profession. Courtesy Warner Bros.
'Gravity' (2013), starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, struck a chord with cinema-goers because it helped them understand the perils that astronauts take on so bravely as part of their profession. Courtesy Warner Bros.
In Robert Zemeckis’s 'Contact' (1997) , Dr. Ellie Arroway (played by Jodie Foster in one of her most underrated performances) is a SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) expert seeking ‘contact’ with life beyond Earth. Courtesy Warner Bros.
In Robert Zemeckis’s 'Contact' (1997) , Dr. Ellie Arroway (played by Jodie Foster in one of her most underrated performances) is a SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) expert seeking ‘contact’ with life beyond Earth. Courtesy Warner Bros.
'2001: A Space Odyssey' . Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
'2001: A Space Odyssey' . Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
On the set of the TV series 'Star Trek'. Courtesy Getty Images
On the set of the TV series 'Star Trek'. Courtesy Getty Images
In 'Blade Runner 2049' (2017), Ryan Gosling, who plays a “replicant” named K, faces his biggest existential crisis and breaks down on realising that he is, after all, not human. Science fiction, for all its lofty imagination and tech-wizardry, is also about mankind’s collective zeitgeist. Courtesy Sony Pictures
In 'Blade Runner 2049' (2017), Ryan Gosling, who plays a “replicant” named K, faces his biggest existential crisis and breaks down on realising that he is, after all, not human. Science fiction, for all its lofty imagination and tech-wizardry, is also about mankind’s collective zeitgeist. Courtesy Sony Pictures

The flight is scheduled to take off in October and the crew will stay on board the space station for 10 days. Axiom is working with SpaceX to make space tourism possible, with each ticket estimated to cost $55 million.

Russia also announced plans to make a film in space at about the same time.

Crashing into an asteroid

Nasa will deliberately crash a spacecraft into an asteroid’s moon.

As part of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission, a spacecraft will launch in July and head towards the Didymos asteroid with only one instrument – a camera.

The goal is to change the course of the giant space rock, which is classified as a near-Earth object.

Nasa has clarified that the asteroid does not pose any threat to our planet. The mission is merely a test, so humans can be prepared to prevent any future dangerous scenarios.

In 2013, a 20-metre meteor crashed in Chelyabinsk, Russia, shattering more than 3,600 apartment windows and injuring more than 1,000 people.

A Falcon 9 rocket will carry the spacecraft into space and the impact will take place next year.

UAE currency
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

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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
The%20new%20Turing%20Test
%3Cp%3EThe%20Coffee%20Test%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EA%20machine%20is%20required%20to%20enter%20an%20average%20American%20home%20and%20figure%20out%20how%20to%20make%20coffee%3A%20find%20the%20coffee%20machine%2C%20find%20the%20coffee%2C%20add%20water%2C%20find%20a%20mug%20and%20brew%20the%20coffee%20by%20pushing%20the%20proper%20buttons.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProposed%20by%20Steve%20Wozniak%2C%20Apple%20co-founder%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How it works

Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.

Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.

As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.

A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.

Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.

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Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Neighbourhood Watch
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results

1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Al Suhooj, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)

2pm Handicap (TB) 68,000 (D) 1,950m

Winner Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

3pm Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,800m

Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner Alla Mahlak, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly

4pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m

GROUPS

Group Gustavo Kuerten
Novak Djokovic (x1)
Alexander Zverev (x3)
Marin Cilic (x5)
John Isner (x8)

Group Lleyton Hewitt
Roger Federer (x2)
Kevin Anderson (x4)
Dominic Thiem (x6)
Kei Nishikori (x7)

UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP

Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan

Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri

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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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

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
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

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Rainbow

Kesha

(Kemosabe)

Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world

New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.

The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.

Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.

“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.

"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."

While you're here
Sukuk explained

Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
​​​​​​​Bloomsbury Academic

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

Plastic tipping point
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