Mars as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo: NASA/ESA/STScI
The United Arab Emirates' Hope probe successfully made it into orbit around Mars Tuesday, vaulting the Arab nation into an elite class of space-faring nations.
Why it matters: With Hope's success, the UAE is now the fifth nation or space agency to operate an orbiter around Mars.
Details: Hope made it into orbit after a long burn that slowed the spacecraft down enough to be captured into orbit by Mars.
- The spacecraft is now expected to study the planet's weather conditions and thin atmosphere for about two years.
What's next: It's a busy time at Mars. China's Tianwen-1 mission is expected to make its attempt to orbit Mars tomorrow, and NASA's Perseverance rover is scheduled to land on the Red Planet next week.
Go deeper: The new Mars club