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Logistics Challenges in Reaching Mars

On July 2020, a Skyrocket carrying a spacecraft named "HOPE" was launched towards outer space, which would take seven long months to reach planet Mars. Once it arrives, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) scientists will start research via satellites to monitor climate change and Mars's atmosphere for the next year.

Logistics's role from assembly to launch was challenging, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it more complicated due to travel restriction and quarantine protocols in early 2020. On the other hand, the UAE Government had given a deadline to reach Mars before 2nd December 2021, which would mark the 50th Anniversary of the country's establishment. There are boundless factors to consider from transporting the spare parts to the USA's factory to set up a launch vehicle unit on an Island in Japan.

According to spaceflightnow.com the spacecraft was supposed to be shipped on May 2020 from Dubai, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the plan was preponed to April 2020 and sent earlier to Japan, where it was supposed to be launched on an island. The unit was airlifted in a climate-controlled container using a Russian aircraft Antonov An-124 chartering it from Dubai to Nagoya and the island using an entire charter ship. 11 Engineers from the UAE accompanied the journey. They had to undergo various travel approvals and quarantine days in Japan to ensure they are not carrying any symptoms as they traveled during peak pandemic when most of the countries had entry restrictions and parked their aircraft.

Overcoming all the challenges of COVID-19, the spacecraft was successfully offloaded on the island for a final checkup and was successfully launched towards Mars to give a "New hope" of life on a different planet.

Contributor: Mohammad Ali


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