H.H. Sheikh Hamdan outlines reasons behind UAE's Mars Mission

The Crown Prince of Dubai has outlined the reasons behind the Emirates Mars Mission.

In a video posted on his Twitter account, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, stated five key reasons behind launching the UAE’s unmanned Hope Probe to Mars that took 5.5 million hours of work from a team of 200 Emirati engineers to develop.

"We are going to Mars because space programmes are the gateway to science and talent development. There’s no future without science and no future without knowledge," he said, citing the first reason.

The second reason, he added, is "to solidify a principle for our youth that the impossible is possible for the UAE and the people of the UAE. When we are determined, we execute. When we dream, we make our dreams come true".

Sheikh Hamdan said third reason is aimed at placing "the UAE at the forefront of the Arab scientific movement. Our journey to Mars is a message of hope to all Arabs that we can compete with the world in science and technology. The UAE today leads the Arab knowledge transformation".

His Highness said the fourth reason is "because Mars is the means to greater aims. Our aim is not merely to build a probe and launch it but build the foundation for tomorrow. This is the journey that Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid had started, and the journey that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed are carrying on today to empower people with knowledge, capabilities and ambitions that reach the sky".

The final reason, he added, is "because we want to start a new journey for our country. The journey of the next 50 years and the last 50 years that passed in the history of our nation. We started from the desert of our country, and we want the next 50 years to start from the desert of Mars, because we are people who don’t know the impossible, and nothing can stand ahead of our rising ambitions".

Sheikh Hamdan noted that the Mars Mission will carry the flag of the UAE and the aspirations of its people to the Red Planet.

The UAE will become the fifth country to reach Mars.