The United Arab Emirates launched its first mission to Mars on Monday (July 20) as it strives to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil.

The Hope Probe blasted off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 1:58 a.m. UAE time/6:58 a.m. Japanese time Monday (2158 GMT Sunday) for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and send back data about the atmosphere.

The first Arab mission to Mars was initially due to launch on July 14, but has been delayed twice due to bad weather.

Just over an hour after launch, the probe deployed solar panels to power its systems and established radio communication with the mission on earth.

There are currently eight active missions exploring Mars; some orbit the planet and some have landed on its surface. China and the United States each plan to send another this year.

The Emirates Mars Mission has cost $200 million, according to Minister for Advanced Sciences Sarah Amiri. It aims to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes.

The UAE first announced plans for the mission in 2014 and launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the big spacefaring nations.

It has an ambitious plan for a Mars settlement by 2117. Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space last September when he flew to the International Space Station.

To develop and build the Hope Probe, Emiratis and Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) worked with U.S. educational institutions.

The MBRSC space centre in Dubai will oversee the spacecraft during its 494 million km (307 million mile) journey at an average speed of 121,000 km per hour. (Reuters)

(Production: Abdelhadi Ramahi, Tarek Fahmy)

MANILA, Philippines – More than 600 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) repatriated from the United Arab Emirates have arrived in the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

In a statement, the DFA said a total of 648 Filipino repatriates returned home on Tuesday aboard two special commercial flights from Dubai.

The flights landed separately at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City and the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

The DFA said the flights were made possible in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates government, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai.

The department assured that repatriated Filipinos underwent appropriate airport medical protocols during their arrival.

They will also undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine against coronavirus disease as required by the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine.

Stranded Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Wednesday (June 3), according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

In a statement, the DFA reported 274 Filipino repatriates underwent the necessary medical protocols upon arrival. They will also undergo the 14-day quarantine before they will be allowed to go home to their families.

The DFA also said over 31,000 Filipinos have been repatriated since February.

“A total of 31,528 Overseas Filipinos (OFs) have been repatriated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) since it began bringing back Filipinos affected by COVID-19 in February 2020,” the DFA said. —AAC