Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has secured a new order for H-IIA launch services from the UAE’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), for launching Emirates Mars Mission’s (EMM) Hope spacecraft.
Scheduled to be launched in 2020 aboard MHI’s H-IIA rocket, Hope expects to provide information to better understand the Martian atmosphere and climate.
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After its launch, Hope expects to travel at a speed of 126,000km/h and will reach Mars in 2021. The probe will be located in a 22,000km to 44,000km orbital position.
Apart from the latest order, which is the fourth international contract for MHI’s launch services, the company had previously won three orders from overseas customers.
MHI’s earlier international orders include several launches, including the Korea Multipurpose Satellite-3 (KOMPSAT-3) for Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in 2012, the Telstar 12 Vantage communications and broadcasting satellite for Telesat Canada last year, and the KhalifaSat for MBRSC, expected in 2018.
The design and development of Hope has been conducted by MBRSC.
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By GlobalDataThe UAE Space Agency (UAESA) is looking after the administrative, financial and execution of all the phases of EMM that involves maintaining technical coordination with the H-IIA launch vehicle.
Established in 2006, MBRSC, or the former Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST), is involved in the development of science and technology sectors in the region, including research and development in satellite manufacturing and systems development, and Earth observation through satellite images.
MHI stated that so far H-IIA has successfully conducted 29 launches out of 30 flights.
