The NYU Abu Dhabi Center for Space Science will be carrying out scientific research based on the observations and data collected by the Emirates Mars Mission Hope probe. The Center will look to tackle a slew of questions about Mars. How did it lose its atmosphere and how does solar activity impact the exploration of Mars? The probe will provide insight into our distant planetary neighbor and it will also help answer questions that have captured humanity’s imagination for generations.

Is there life on Mars?

Can we live on the red planet?

“Studying detailed physical processes on Mars and Martian atmospheres will greatly inform our understanding of potential habitability for terrestrial planets throughout other solar systems,” said Dimitra Atri, a research scientist at the NYUAD Center for Space Science.

The Hope Probe, set to reach the red planet’s orbit in 2021, will be the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers. NYUAD researchers at the Center will begin to study the data in spring.

Scientists from NYUAD will build models demonstrating atmospheric losses at Mars and researching how it lost a thicker atmosphere in the past and how its present atmosphere might evolve in the future.

“One of the main objectives of the UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is to carry out scientific research from mission data in the UAE, train the local population and engage the general public. We have made plans to be involved in all of the above,” said Atri.

As part of its efforts to support the Emirates Mars Mission, the NYU Abu Dhabi Center for Space Science will be utilizing its expertise and research capabilities to carry out scientific research based on observations and data collected from this mission. The Center, aligned with the UAE’s National Space Strategy 2030, will continue to work in close coordination with the relevant government organizations.