UAE’s Hope probe reveals new observations of Martian atmosphere

After completing its primary science mission of collecting data on the Martian atmosphere for a full Martian year, the equivalent of two Earth years, the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) is now on its expanded mission to understand the interannual variations of the Martian atmosphere. for an additional Earth year, exceeding the initial expectations established for this mission.

As part of the ongoing effort to share data with the global scientific community, the EMM has published its ninth data set.

It includes data from the three instruments captured from March 1 to May 31 of this year. This data set presents a collection of high-frequency cloud images, meticulously taken by EXI on April 11 and 25, 2023, May 6, 13, 18 and 22, 2023. These EXI observations allow the study of the short-term changes that occur in Clouds on Mars and their movement.

And as the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, the aurora has become even more prominent in EMUS’ nighttime observations, with a particularly fantastic light show of discrete auroras over the magnetic fields of the Sun. strongest crust in the southern hemisphere on April 27-28, 2023.

Auroras are natural light shows that shine in the sky and, in this case, in the Martian atmosphere.

The space agency said the EMM mission has consistently exceeded expectations by making discoveries and capturing remarkable images. For example, he identified new types of auroras on Mars.

In addition, the mission obtained impressive images of Deimos, one of the smallest moons of Mars, and has continued to observe it regularly. These achievements demonstrate the mission’s ability to deliver more than initially anticipated, making it a valuable and successful endeavor in the exploration of the Martian environment and its phenomena.

The mission has three main scientific objectives covering the understanding of lower atmospheric processes, the loss of the upper atmosphere and the link between the two. These targets will help reveal the mysteries surrounding the Martian atmosphere and how it is lost in space.

The unique orbit of the ‘Hope probe’ allows the scientific community to explore the daily and seasonal variation of the Martian atmosphere by analyzing mission data.

With the launch of the ninth batch, the Emirates Mars Mission’s ‘Hope Probe’ has revealed a staggering 3.3 Terabytes of atmospheric data from the red planet through its Scientific Data Center.

At the 74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2023) in Baku, Azerbaijan, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) honored the Emirates Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe’ team with the 2023 Laurels Team Achievement Award.

“This recognition is a tribute to their dedicated efforts to improve our understanding of Mars. “His important contributions include providing the global scientific community with essential data, enabling the creation of a complete map of the atmosphere of Mars and revealing groundbreaking observations of the smallest Martian moon, Deimos,” added the UAE Space Agency.