UAE’s Spacecraft Enters Martian Orbit After Seven-Month Trip
- Gulf nation’s agency is fifth to enter the red planet’s orbit
- China, U.S. plan Mars vehicle landings in coming days
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The United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft entered Martian orbit, making it the fifth agency to successfully reach the red planet’s gravitational zone.
The probe arrived at 7:57 p.m. UAE time on Tuesday, according to a statement issued after confirmation reached Earth. That followed the most critical half-hour in its seven-month journey, requiring a deceleration to just 18,000 kilometers per hour (11,185 miles per hour) from 121,000 kph and a reliance on autonomous self-correcting systems.