Following after their announcement of launching a mission to Mars, the United Arab Emirates has once again been put the the spotlight after it has been noted that they are the very first Islamic nation to launch such mission to the red planet. Authorities from the said project have revealed that in the year 2020, an unmanned craft called Hope will reportedly take off from Japan and travel to Mars, in the nation's historic bid to become leading Muslim space-faring nation.
The First Ever Islamic Mission To Mars
According to reports revealed by News.com.au, although last year, certain groups of religious leaders in the UAE have issued a fatwa that forbids the Muslim community to land on Mars, authorities have claimed that the robotic spaceship will not actually touch down on the Martian surface. Yuichi Yamaura, vice president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said that the mission will blast off aboard a Japanese rocket and then go into orbit around the planet. Yamaura reveals that the UAE's Mars explorer by the Japanese launch vehicle H-IIA from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan in 2020.
Furthermore, the vice president claims that they are confident with regards to the success of their mission in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was found that the UAE has created their first space agency in 2014 with the hopes of becoming the first Arab nation to launch a Mars mission. Apparently, it was also the same year where the nation's General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment have released a fatwa forbidding Muslims from journeying to the Red Planet due to the belief that they would likely be to commit suicide.
Islamic Space Exploration
On the other hand, as per The Sun, Mars One has also revealed that the Muslim community has a rich tradition of exploration. Ultimately, authorities from the Mars one project was also found to have quoted a Koranic verse which they believe to be encouraging the Muslims to go out and see the signs of God's creation in the heavens and the earth.
