Liftoff of the F15 H2A mission in 2009. Photo: MHI

[Via Satellite 03-22-2016] Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has received an order for H2A launch services from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for launch of the Emirates Mars Mission’s (EMM) Hope spacecraft.

MBRSC, formerly the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST), and MHI plan to launch the Hope mission during the summer of 2020, which would place the spacecraft’s arrival time at Mars in 2021, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE.

The EMM order is MHI’s fourth international contract for launch services. Previously, MHI launched the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s (KARI), Korea Multipurpose Satellite-3 (Kompsat 3) in 2012, and most recently, Telesat’s Telstar 12 Vantage telecommunications satellite. MHI has a preexisting contract with MBRSC for launch of KhalifaSat in 2018.

The UAE Space Agency (UAESA) has administrative and financial responsibility for the EMM, and MBRSC is responsible for leading the design and development of Hope, as well as the execution of all phases of EMM, which includes technical coordination with the H2A launch vehicle. UAESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) signed a new cooperation agreement today as well. The space agencies will seek ways to enhance collaboration in areas including Research and Development (R&D), space applications, utilization of Japan’s Kibo module on the International Space Station (ISS), capacity building, and more.