spacetoday.net: UAE Hope spacecraft arrives at Mars

UAE Hope spacecraft arrives at Mars

Posted: Sun, Feb 14, 2021, 9:44 AM ET (1444 GMT)
The UAE's Hope spacecraft entered orbit around Mars Tuesday. The spacecraft fired its thrusters for 27 minutes, slowing the spacecraft down enough to be captured by the planet's gravity. Controllers received confirmation of the successful orbital insertion maneuver shortly after 11 am EST (1600 GMT). The spacecraft will move into its final orbit, at altitudes ranging from 20,000 to 43,000 kilometers above Mars, over the next two months. The spacecraft carries three instruments that will study Martian weather patterns and atmospheric processes.