阿联酋将于2021年发射火星探测器
Officials with the United Arab Emirates are suggesting the country's newly-founded space agency have plans to sent an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021.
阿联酋官员暗示，该国新建立的宇航局计划于2021年向火星发射一颗无人驾驶探测器。
Mohamed Al-Ahbabi, director of the UAE Space Agency, says the goal is part of a broader plan to develop more home-grown talent in science to try to diversify the local economy.
"We are building capacity in UAE, we're investing in people, and the only way is through education. We're targeting early stage of education, middle and advanced stage. So we are coordinating with schools for curriculum to inject some science subjects, we are also talking to local universities to establish tracks in space and aerospace."
The UAE is investing some 5.5-billion US dollars into its Mars program.
The Gulf-Arab country has already launched a pair of satellites into space.
It has plans to send a third satellite into orbit by 2017.
UAE officials are hoping the country can become a strategic launching area, given its vast amount of desert space.