UAE Hope Probe Team Wins ‘2023 Laurels for Team Achievement Award’ for New Mars Findings

The award was presented by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) during the 74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2023) held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

Chairperson of the UAE Space Agency, Sarah Al Amiri, who is also Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, said: “The recognition from the IAA highlights our extraordinary international collaboration, bringing together a close-knit team from across the world to work together. with a single objective and not only achieve that objective but create a truly transformative project that impacts the progress of an entire nation in the fields of space science, research and technological innovation.”

The Emirates Mars Mission, the first interplanetary mission by an Arab nation, was developed by an international team consisting of members of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics ( LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, Arizona State University, and the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. This team, along with scientists from the US, Europe and the UAE, was managed as a single, integrated team to realize an interplanetary mission with a revolutionary approach to mission design, management and execution.

The award, presented annually by the IAA, is the highest honor for an Academy team. The Hope Probe team representing the UAE, including Sarah Al Amiri, and Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Advanced Sciences and Technology, from the project leadership team, were honored by the Academy.

As for the scientific team, the IAA recognition includes Hessa Al Matroushi, Hoor Al Mazmi, Nora Al Maheiri, Mariam Al Shamsi, Khaled Badri, Eman Al Tunaiji, Fatima Lootah and Mariam Yousef.

From the engineering team, the Academy recognized the following engineers: Mohsen Al Awadhi, Suhail Al Dhafri, Omran Al Hammad, Hamad Al Hazami, Khulood Al Harmoudi, Mahmoud Al Nasser, Zakarrya Al Shamsi, Ahmed Al Shehhi, Omar Al Shehhi, Ali Al Suwaidi, Mohammed Khouri, Ayesha Sharafi and Mohammed Wali.

Meanwhile, MBRSC announced its participation in IAC 2023, as a Golden Sponsor.

Under this year’s theme “Global Challenges and Opportunities: Giving Space a Chance”, MBRSC’s participation will highlight the notable achievements of UAE astronauts, symbolizing the nation’s growing contribution to space exploration with the six-year mission. months of UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi in International Space. Station (ISS).

MBRSC will also showcase its cutting-edge satellite projects, including KhalifaSat and the upcoming MBZ-SAT, as well as the Emirates Lunar Mission’s Rashid Rover. Attendees will also learn about upcoming plans for Emirates’ long-awaited Lunar Mission 2.

The center said it will further highlight the significant achievements of the Emirates Mars Mission, recognized for its crucial scientific contributions, while also shedding light on the Mars 2117 project through which the UAE aims to establish the first habitable human settlement on Mars by the year 2117.

During the five days of IAC starting Monday, MBRSC will actively participate in sessions with more than 20 of its delegates, led by Salem AlMarri, Director General of MBRSC, Adnan AlRais, Deputy Director General of Space Exploration and Operations of MBRSC and Astronaut of the MBRSC Hazzaa Al Mansoori, who is also the director of the astronaut office.