The actual liftoff of the Emirates Mars Mission occurred on the 19th of July 2020 at 21:58:14 UTC. The spacecraft traveled approximately 490 million kilometers over about 200 days before reaching its destination.
Emirati engineers worked side by side with American counterparts at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics to assemble the spacecraft. Project manager Omran Sharaf led the effort while deputy project manager Sarah Al Amiri collaborated closely with these institutions to design and build the orbiter.
The spacecraft houses three distinct scientific instruments including the Emirates eXploration Imager, the Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer, and the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer. These tools study different layers of the Martian atmosphere to examine dust storms, temperature profiles, and atmospheric escape into outer space.
The mission cost approximately US$200 million according to Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, the UAE minister of cabinet affairs. This investment targeted both economic growth and human capital development within the nation.
On the 9th of February 2021, the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab country and the fifth nation overall to reach Mars. It was also the second country to successfully enter Mars's orbit on its first attempt after India.