Hope Probe uncovers new scientific observations in its fifth batch of scientific data

The Emirates Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe’ has uncovered new observations, in addition to its nominal set of observations, about Mars’ atmosphere in its fifth batch of scientific data.

Gathered by the Hope Probe’s instruments throughout its mission in Mars’ orbit from 1st of March to 31st of May 2022, the latest data highlights the exceptional capabilities of the instruments, and the mission’s performance.

1.2 Terabyte of information, images, and data were captured of the Red Planet’s atmosphere. The new findings bring the total data released by the Hope Probe to 236.8 gigabytes.

The latest released data includes new observations from the Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI), which are observations that study dust movement conducted on 2 March, 07 March, 23 March, 27 March, 12 April, 03 May, and 23 May.

The data also includes new observations from the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS), which observes the planet’s upper atmosphere. The EMU038 observation, which was performed once per week, is a high spectral resolution nadir stare at the Martian disk. In addition, the EMU039 observation was a one-time experiment to provide diagnostics on transient variations in EMUS instrument sensitivity.

The batches of data released every three months has received appraisal from the scientific community and astronomy enthusiasts from around the world. To date 2.5 Terabyte of this data has been downloaded.

Eng. Zakareyya Al Shamsi, project director of Emirates Mars Mission, said: “We are proud to share these impressive observations of Mars and its atmosphere, which enrich our understanding and knowledge of the red planet and its changes. As we continue our scientific mission, we are eager to uncover more observations and discoveries to enhance our national capabilities, and foster international collaboration in the space domain.”

Hessa Al Matroushi, Emirates Mars Mission Science Lead, said: “Hope Probe is advancing our understanding of the Martian atmosphere, and enabling us to open up new horizons in the Red Planet’s exploration. The release of these observations and discoveries align with our ongoing efforts to broaden our understanding of Mar’s and its atmosphere, and to provide the scientific community with data about the Red Planet's atmosphere.”

The Hope Probe’s orbit is between 20,000 and 43,000 km with a 25-degree incline towards Mars, which provides it with the unique ability to perform one orbit around the planet every 55 hours, gathering comprehensive data every 9 days. The Hope Probe is analysing the current status of Mars’ atmosphere and weather, as well as the cause of hydrogen and oxygen departure from its upper atmosphere. It is also investigating the relationship between Mars' upper and lower atmospheres, as well as other phenomena such as dust storms, weather fluctuations, and atmosphere dynamics.

The Probe weighs around 1,350 KG, approximately the weight of a small SUV.  It was designed and developed by engineers at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in cooperation with academic partners including, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Arizona, and the University of California, Berkeley.