The United Arab Emirates set the launch date between 14th July to 3rd August 2020 for its unmanned space mission to Mars, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced.
The spacecraft, named Hope, will be launched during that tight time frame because there can’t be any unwanted interstellar conditions or objects getting in the way of the probe's seven-month-long trip to Mars. If for some reason, they can’t launch on those dates, it could be another two to two and half-years before another launch opportunity presents itself.
The launch date is trying to coincide with the UAE’s 50th anniversary, RIA Novosti reported.
The goal of the UAE's mission to Mars, which falls under MBRSC's Emirates Mars Mission programme (EMM), is to examine what caused water on the red planet to disappear, in hopes of getting a better understanding about Earth's past and future.
Presently, the spacecraft is undergoing extreme testing now that the manufacturing stage has been completed.
