In Pics | UAE's 'Hope' mission to Mars launched from Japan

The first Arab space mission to Mars blasted off Monday aboard a rocket from Japan, after weather delays set back the launch of the probe dubbed "Hope." A live feed of the launch showed the rocket carrying the unmanned probe, known as "Al-Amal" in Arabic, lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan. Here's a glimpse of Hope being lanched from Japan:  

A picture taken on July 19, 2020, shows a screen broadcasting the launch of the

The Emirati project is one of three racing to Mars, including Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearest. Credit: AFP Photo

In October, Mars will be a comparatively short 38.6 million miles (62.07 million kilometers) from Earth, according to NASA. Credit: iStock Photo

An H-2A rocket carrying the Hope Probe, developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Mars explore, lifts off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the southwestern island of Tanegashima, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo July 20, 2020. Credit: Kyodo via Reuters Photo

While the objective of the Mars mission is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in the Red Planet's atmosphere, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal -- building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years. Credit: yodo via Reuters Photo