UAE Pics from Mars; SpaceX / Russia Both Launch Tonight [Starts: 23:21/23:45 EST; 0421/0445 UTC]
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956:
Marvel At UAE Hope Orbiter's First Image Of Mars:
The United Arab Emirates Hope orbiter snapped its first image of Mars on Sunday, as part of the first interplanetary mission from an Arab country.
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's leader, announced this triumphant news on Twitter, calling it a "defining moment" in the nation's history.
The transmission of the Hope Probe's first image of Mars is a defining moment in our history and marks the UAE joining advanced nations involved in space exploration. We hope this mission will lead to new discoveries about Mars which will benefit humanity. pic.twitter.com/TCM5yHTapH
- (@MohamedBinZayed) February 14, 2021
[...] The satellite entered the Red Planet's orbit on Feb. 9 and will circle around Mars for months to gather more information about the planet's atmosphere. As part of this mission, it will measure dust, ice clouds, water vapor distribution, and temperature so researchers can better understand how Mars' seasons function.
Watch SpaceX and Russia launch a Valentine's Day rocket doubleheader tonight:
Valentine's Day could be full of fireworks this year as both SpaceX and Russia's space agency Roscosmos are working towards a launch doubleheader tonight (Feb. 14).
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