From Sands To Mars in just 50 years.
Entrepreneurs shape the future.
Emirates Mars Mission
It is mindblowing in which tempo the United Arab Emirates is evolving. From a pure desert to Mars in just 50 years is not only possible because the Emirates are one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but because they strive to be the best. This mindset changes everything because the word impossible is missing its existence here.
UAE Space Agency.
The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) is the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) first mission to Mars. EMM is designed to orbit Mars and study the dynamics in the Martian atmosphere on a global scale and on both diurnal and seasonal timescales. Using three scientific instruments on board of the spacecraft, EMM will provide a set of measurements fundamental to an improved understanding of circulation and weather in the Martian lower and middle atmosphere. Combining such data with the monitoring of the upper layers of the atmosphere, EMM measurements will reveal the mechanisms behind the upward transport of energy and particles and the subsequent escape of atmospheric particles from the gravity of Mars.
Hope Probe.
The Emirates Mars Mission “Hope Probe” is tasked to provide the first ever complete picture of the Martian atmosphere. Three stat-of-the-art science instruments have been designed to study the different aspects of the Martian Atmosphere.
The EMIRS instrument is an interferometric thermal infrared spectrometer that will give a better understanding of the energy balance in the current Martian climate by characterizing the state of the lower Martian atmosphere and the processes that are driving the global circulation.
Understanding the energy balance will help in identifying the sources and sinks of energy globally and how the lower atmosphere responds to solar forcing diurnally and seasonally. Specifically, the EMIRS instrument will look at the thermal state in the lower atmosphere, the geographical distribution of dust, water vapor and water ice, as well as the three-dimensional thermal structure of the Martian atmosphere and its variability on sub-seasonal timescales. The EMIRS instrument has a rotating mirror that will allow the instrument to do scans of Mars.
A Unique Platform.
Al Noorani revealed that “the Future Innovation Summit was created as a unique platform to bring the leading companies and key decision-makers under one roof to discuss their vision of the future for humanity, with the core goal of promoting innovation to improve the lives of humankind, leading professionals will share their ideas and plans for the future.
Moreover, the summit attracts an abundance of start-ups to the UAE to receive the support they need at their early stages. Touching all sectors of the World, and backed by several highly talented young individuals and organizations, the summit turned into a strong networking platform, establishing bridges between public and private sectors worldwide.”
Tapping into space
While the summit aims to shed light on innovative ideas in different fields, space remains its primary focus, as Al Noorani explained.
“The objective of the summit is to put the best minds from around the globe together in one room to collaborate and bring in solutions without any barriers. Meanwhile, space exploration remains its main subject of focus. In 1976 HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was already looking towards the stars. In February, the late founding father held a memorable gathering with the Apollo 17 mission astronauts Gene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Harrison Schmitt in the capital Abu Dhabi. Three decades later, the UAE established its space agency. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, welcomed the UAE astronauts, Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi, to take the lead in the UAE’s space sector, in a moment of absolute pride not only for the UAE but the entire Arab World.”
Moreover, the summit is set to address more ideas across the sustainability domain, with worldwide partners working together to bring in value in the fields of renewable energy, carbon footprint, and clean water, as well as fast track the World’s efforts towards a more sustainable future for the upcoming generations.
From sands to Mars
The UAE has long been a keen believer in setting high standards and achieving more through supporting pioneers and empowering progress across different sectors to enable accelerated development and disrupt the norms, HH Sheikh Saqer Bin Mohamed Al Qasimi highlighted.
“The UAE leaders shared a strong vision and many aspirations since the UAE was founded. In February, NASA’s Astronaut, Nicole Stott, visited Dubai for the fifth time and expressed her surprise at the pace of development across the fields of space exploration and female leadership, especially in engineering and research roles. Two years later, Nora Al Matrooshi will be the first Arab female in space when she starts her mission. I am confident we are sending a strong signal and changing the World’s perception of the UAE and the Arab World. Nothing is impossible, we went from sand to Mars in 50 years, and we are proudly setting even higher standards and paces of development for the international community.”
Enabling the Future
Besides space exploration, the UAE has been investing funds and exerting efforts in empowering innovation and promoting novelty, with dedicated governmental strategies aiming to position the country among the most innovative nations across the World. Al Noorani walked us through the country’s vision to support innovation in the aerospace domain and beyond.
“The vision of our leaders is to invest in humans; hence, the UAE has fostered many innovations, and we are building new horizons as we continue to move forward. HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that every step we take forward, we see and create new horizons, and our plans turn into action year after year. Innovation was a keystone in the Knowledge pillar of the UAE’s Vision 2021, which focused on innovative Emiratis building a competitive economy. According to the annual Global Innovation Index 2019, the UAE retained its top position as the most innovative country in the Arab World. Our leaders introduced the ambitious National Innovation Strategy, designed to position the UAE among the most innovative countries in the World within a seven-year timeframe, targeting the space, aviation, renewable energy, transport, education, health, technology, and water resources sectors.
The UAE’s visionary leadership embraces innovation in several ways and has successfully applied it in nearly every aspect of modern life across the country. The Future Innovation Summit is a small portion of an added value to our leaders’ vision for the future generations, to make the UAE the best place to live on Earth by providing the necessary needs from healthcare, transportation, and education to policy-making and infrastructural developments.”
Empowering economic growth
Innovation is not only essential to enhance the quality of life, explore new grounds and set new standards but also to drive economic growth and empower individuals to make better financial decisions, Dr. Yana Leonova, Deputy GM of the Private Office of HH Sheikh Saqer Al Qasimi and Head of the Future Innovation Summit noted.
“The World is changing fast. It is growing, getting better, more advanced, and technologically developed; therefore, the economy must keep pace with these changes. A few years back, most people could not imagine that we would have digital currencies, but nowadays, it has become a reality; this is one of the brightest examples of how innovation empowers economic growth. Such innovations are now in the reach of the less privileged, who used to be excluded from the international banking system today using their mobile phones; they can transfer cash and make payments. Crowdfunding and tokenization are other great examples of businesses and start-ups raising money at lower costs and with an extended reach.”
In conclusion, innovation is the cornerstone of driving the UAE’s vast aspirations forward, from tapping into space to achieving new pinnacles, exploring the unexplored, and enabling a better future for its citizens and the region.
Pullquotes
“We always strive to build the strongest bridges to connect with companies from around the world that believe in the UAE’s Vision and add value to every future initiative.” HH Sheikh Saqer Bin Mohamed Al Qasimi
“We aim to shape the country’s future by supporting innovation to move forward, serve the UAE and fulfill the vision of our leadership.” Adnan Al Noorani.
Special thanks to Dr. Yana Leonova for organizing the interview.
Interviewed by Karim Tolba, Editor of Aviation Business Middle East
Source: Aviation Business Middle East