United Arab Emirates Spacecraft Built In Partnership With UC Berkeley Reaches Mars In Historic Mission

Berkeley CA

09 February, 2021

4:03 PM

Description

CBS San Francisco February 9, 2021 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CBS / AP) — A spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates, created in partnership with UC Berkeley and other U.S. universities, swung into orbit around Mars on Tuesday in a triumph for the Arab world's first interplanetary mission. Ground controllers at the UAE's space center in Dubai rose to their feet and broke into applause when word came that the craft, called Amal, Arabic for Hope, had reached the end of its seven-month, 300-million-mile journey and had begun circling the red planet, where it will gather detailed data on Mars' atmosphere. The orbiter fired its main engines for 27 minutes in an intricate, high-stakes maneuver that slowed the craft enough for it to be captured by Mars' gravity. It took a nail-biting 11 minutes for the signal confirming success to reach Earth. Read more at CBS San Francisco