Pakistan lauds UAE Mars mission as 'pride' for Muslim community

A general view of an event to mark Hope Probe's entering the orbit of Mars, with Burj Khalifa in the background, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 9, 2021. (REUTERS)

• UAE is the first Arab and Muslim nation to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars
• The Hope probe is also the first attempt to collect data on the Martian atmosphere

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday lauded the United Arab Emirates mission to Mars as a pride for the Muslim community.

On Tuesday evening, the UAE became the first Arab and Muslim nation to send a spacecraft to Mars, as its robotic probe named Hope (Al-Amal), began orbiting the red planet after a six-month-long voyage into outer space.

"Congratulations to the leadership and people of the UAE on the outstanding success of Emirates' Mars Mission #HopeProbe — a testament to the vision of the UAE leadership, and a pride for its people, as well as Muslim Ummah," Pakistan's foreign office spokesman, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, said in a tweet.

Congratulations to the leadership and people of the UAE on the outstanding success of Emirates' Mars Mission #HopeProbe - a testament to the vision of the UAE leadership, and a pride for its people, as well as Muslim Ummah.@MoFAICUAE

— Spokesperson MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) February 10, 2021

The UAE, which created its space agency only in 2014, becomes the fifth nation to successfully send a mission to Mars, after the United States, the Soviet Union, Europe, and India.

The probe is also the first attempt to collect data on the Martian atmosphere to provide scientists with information on climate dynamics and weather on Mars.