BERKELEY, CA -- Scientists from UC Berkeley and other universities are celebrating the launch of a Mars probe.
The Hope Probe blasted off a launch pad on the Japanese island of Tanegashima yesterday. It'll take about six months for the probe to reach the red planet. When it does, it will monitor the Martian atmosphere for about two years.
The project was funded in partnership with the United Arab Emirates, whose engineers also worked on the creation of the probe. UAE is the first Arab country to launch a probe to another planet and a government spokesperson said the country is "invested heavily in education" and innovation.
NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green describes the importance of missions to the red planet with 104.7 WONK FM's Jen Richer. Listen to the full interview here:
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