Epic UAE Space Programme is Epic

Never one to be outdone by the West, the UAE has announced that they’ll be heading to the final frontier. Yes, that’s right. Not content with just looking and feeling like the set of Star Trek, mega-malls, sky scrapers and all, the Emirates have announced that they’ll be sending the first Arab spaceship to Mars by 2021. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum made this announcement on his official Facebook page, as well as mentioning the establishment of the UAE Space Agency, branding both developments “epic.”

According to the ruler of Dubai, the space project has already received investments of over 20 billion Dirhams (around 40 billion EGP for us, AKA pocket change for the UAE, but whatever.) and he expects the industry to contribute to their ever-diversifying economy. “We chose the epic challenge of reaching Mars because epic challenges inspire us and motivate us,” said Sheikh al-Maktoum, making it the third time he’s used the word “epic” in describing the development.

The unmanned probe to Mars will travel 60 million kilometres in around nine months, making the UAE only the ninth country in history to make it to the Red Planet. Sounds epic.