A Mission That Keeps Delivering
More than five years after it first entered orbit around Mars, the UAE’s Hope Probe continues to prove its worth — so much so that the UAE Space Agency has now extended the mission through 2028, adding three more years of operations to what was already a landmark achievement for the country’s space programme.
The decision to extend the mission reflects the Hope Probe’s continued strong scientific performance and the sustained high functionality of its onboard instruments, which remain capable of collecting precise, valuable data on Mars’ atmosphere and climate more than half a decade after launch. Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said the extension reflects the country’s commitment to maximising the scientific value of its space investments while strengthening its broader role in global research.
A Data Trove With Global Value
Since its launch in July 2020, the Hope Probe has generated a remarkable volume of scientific data — more than 10 terabytes and counting, according to figures released by the UAE Space Agency. That dataset has already contributed to a range of notable scientific milestones, including detailed observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured in October last year, adding the UAE’s Mars orbiter to a small group of global instruments that have directly observed objects passing through the solar system from interstellar space.
The mission’s continued operation also carries strategic value well beyond pure science. Officials say the extension will provide valuable operational experience directly applicable to the UAE’s future deep-space ambitions, particularly the planned mission to explore the asteroid belt — a considerably more complex undertaking that will benefit from lessons learned during years of sustained Mars orbital operations.
From Mars to the Asteroid Belt
The Hope Probe’s success has become something of a launching pad — figuratively and institutionally — for the UAE’s next generation of deep-space ambitions. Chief among them is the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, under which the MBR Explorer spacecraft is planned to launch in 2028, targeting exploration of seven asteroids and, notably, an attempt to actually land on one of them — a considerably more technically demanding objective than orbital observation alone.
The mission recently passed a significant technical milestone, completing its Critical Design Review with the participation of Emirati and international experts. That review confirmed the mission’s readiness to progress into the assembly, integration and testing phase, the stage at which conceptual spacecraft designs begin transforming into genuine flight-ready hardware — a critical and often lengthy phase in any deep-space mission’s development timeline.
Looking Toward the Moon — Again
Mars and the asteroid belt aren’t the only frontiers on the UAE’s space roadmap. The country’s space leadership has also set out ambitions for a third lunar mission, even as plans for a second lunar landing attempt remain on track following the loss of the Rashid 1 rover during Japan’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 in April 2023, when the lander crashed during descent to the lunar surface. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre has since selected US company Firefly to oversee the launch of the Rashid 2 rover, which will be carried aboard the Blue Ghost 2 lander.
Salem Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, has expressed strong confidence in the upcoming lunar attempt, while simultaneously discussing plans for a subsequent, third Moon mission — a level of forward planning that reflects the UAE’s broader strategy of treating individual missions as stepping stones within a longer, continuous programme rather than standalone achievements.
Resilience Amid Regional Turbulence
UAE space officials have been notably candid about framing the country’s continued space investment against the backdrop of a challenging regional environment. Speaking earlier this year, Dr Al Falasi described the UAE’s space programme as proof of national resilience in the face of adversity, explicitly linking the country’s decade-long focus on space to rising youth interest in STEM fields and a strengthening domestic private space sector, even as recent regional tensions have tested the broader operating environment.
That resilience narrative has been reinforced by a track record of tangible milestones: the KhalifaSat satellite, astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri’s inaugural spaceflight, the Hope Probe’s successful Mars orbital insertion, and astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi’s six-month stay aboard the International Space Station, which made him the first Arab to complete such a prolonged mission in orbit.
Building a Regional Space Ecosystem
The UAE’s space ambitions extend beyond government-led missions into the private sector as well. Industry figures have pointed to the rapid pace at which the UAE has built out its space programme as a distinguishing feature compared with other emerging space nations, with a growing ecosystem of space-related companies increasingly choosing to base operations in the country. The UAE Space Agency has also continued to build international partnerships, co-chairing recent Artemis Accords meetings alongside NASA and international counterparts, and hosting events at international gatherings such as the International Astronautical Congress to showcase the country’s expanding portfolio of space projects.
A Long Runway Ahead
With the Hope Probe now confirmed to continue operating through 2028, the MBR Explorer advancing toward its planned 2028 launch, and lunar ambitions stretching well beyond a second attempted landing, the UAE’s space programme is entering a period defined less by singular headline achievements and more by sustained, overlapping deep-space activity. For a country that only launched its first satellite roughly a decade and a half ago, the breadth of missions now underway — orbiting Mars, targeting the asteroid belt, and returning to the Moon — represents a striking trajectory, one the UAE’s space leadership shows no sign of slowing down. Next Article
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