The unmanned probe — named “Al-Amal“, Arabic for “Hope” — blasted off from Japan last year, the latest step in the UAE’s ambitious space programme.
Here are some facts and figures about the oil-rich nation’s project, which draws inspiration from the Middle East’s golden age of cultural and scientific achievements.
The United Arab Emirates, made up of seven members including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has 12 satellites in orbit, with plans to launch several more in coming years.
In September 2019, it sent the first Emirati into space, Hazza al-Mansouri, who was part of a…