Free Astronomy Magazine July-August 2015

ASTRONAUTICS given the right circumstances and ingre- dients. Our destiny is, once again, to ex- plore, to create, to build and to civilise. The Emirates Mars Mission will be a great contribution to human knowledge, a mile- stone for Arab civilisation, and a real in- vestment for future generations. We chose the epic challenge of reaching Mars be- cause epic challenges inspire us and moti- vate us. The moment we stop taking on such challenges is the moment we stop mov- ing forward”. Thus, the mission to Mars is considered a turning point in the development of the Emirates, who see in space technology an important compo- nent for their na- tional economy in future years. This vi- sion of things goes well beyond the Hope project, as it is a far-sighted way to invest the proceeds from the export of oil and natural gas, a strategy that will surely have a positive im- pact on the economy in the medium to long term, when the rich mineral resources S ome highlights during the Du- bai presentation of the Emirates Mars Mission plans. At the top are recognizable Omran Sharaf, the mission’s project manager, and Sarah Amiri, depu- ty project manag- er and scientific director. [Moham- med bin Rashid Space Centre]