The UAE's dedication to its space mission is officially getting a detailed documentation ... in collaboration with National Geographic.
The American digital and satellite TV network is set to document the UAE's journey into space in a four-episode docu-series covering the Gulf nation's space-related achievements.
These include the country's development and launch of KhalifaSat, the first Emirati-developed satellite.
The series will also highlight the UAE's explorations of human life in space, including its >mission to build the first city on Mars.
In 2014, the UAE officially established a Space Agency and set an ambitious goal of launching a probe to Mars. Two years later, the Gulf state and NASA >signed a deal to work together to reach the Red Planet. In 2016, the country set up the Emirates Mars Mission which plans to >send an unmanned spacecraft to explore Mars in 2020. The journey is expected to take seven months.
In 2017, the UAE >announced its plans to build the first-ever city on Mars ... in about 100 years. The Mars 2117 project is part of a 10-year national program that focuses on spearheading scientific breakthroughs like the renowned >Mars Mission.
The docu-series will also "look into the ways in which space travel can assist with challenges facing the Earth today, from climate change to declining natural resources and food security," as reported by The National.
"We are so proud of this groundbreaking partnership, which celebrates the UAE leadership's bold vision to inspire generations of Emiratis to reach for the stars," said Sanjay Raina, senior vice president of Fox Networks Group and general manager for Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan, according to The National.
Ready for takeoff! The UAE chose its first-ever astronauts last year
In 2018, two Emirati astronauts were selected to fly to the International Space Stations (ISS) - the first Arabs to get the opportunity to do so.
At the time, Dubai's Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced that Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi will become the country's first-ever nationals to go to space as part of the UAE Astronaut Program.
The duo was chosen from a pool of 4,022 contenders who applied for Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center's UAE Astronaut Program, which aimed to find the nation's first astronauts.