Emirates mars mission (emm) overview and status

Omran Sharaf, Sarah Amiri, Hessa Almatroushi, Adnan Al Rais, Mohammad Wali, Zakareyya Al Shamsi, Nour Al Teneiji, Khuloud Al Harmoodi, Mohsen Al Awadhi, Michael McGrath, Pete Withnell, David Brain, Nicolas Ferrington, Heather Reed, Brett Landin, Sean Ryan, Brian Pramann, Gregory Holsclaw, Justin Deighan, Christopher EdwardsMichael Wolff

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) first mission to Mars and is the first Arab mission to another planet. It launched an unmanned observatory called "Hope" into an elliptical orbit around Mars on July 20, 2020 carrying three scientific instruments to study the Martian atmosphere in visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths. EMM will be the first mission to provide the first truly global picture of the Martian atmosphere, revealing important information about how atmospheric processes drive diurnal variations for a period of one Martian year. This will provide scientists with valuable understanding of the changes to the Martian atmosphere today through the achievement of three scientific objectives: A. Characterize the state of the Martian lower atmosphere on global scales and its geographic, diurnal and seasonal variability. B. Correlate rates of thermal and photochemical atmospheric escape with conditions in the collisional Martian atmosphere. C. Characterize the spatial structure and variability of key constituents in the Martian exosphere. The mission is led by Emiratis from Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and is expanding the nation s human capital through knowledge transfer programs set with international partners from the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), Arizona State University (ASU) School of Earth and Space Exploration, and University of California Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL). The paper highlights the driving motivation behind the mission, its scientific objectives and instruments, the unforeseen challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the status and accomplishments of the mission since its Mars Orbit insertion on Feb 9, 2021.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationIAF Space Exploration Symposium 2021 - Held at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2021
PublisherInternational Astronautical Federation, IAF
ISBN (Electronic)9781713842965
StatePublished - 2021
EventIAF Space Exploration Symposium 2021 at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2021 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Duration: Oct 25 2021Oct 29 2021

Publication series

NameProceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC
VolumeA3
ISSN (Print)0074-1795

Conference

ConferenceIAF Space Exploration Symposium 2021 at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2021
Country/TerritoryUnited Arab Emirates
CityDubai
Period10/25/2110/29/21

Keywords

  • Atmosphere
  • EMM
  • Emirates
  • Hope
  • Mars
  • UAE

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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