Mission to Mars: UAE wants a colony on Red Planet within 100 years
The United Arab Emirates has laid out plans to build a human colony on Mars in 2117, according to an Al Jazeera report on Tuesday.
Called the “Mars 2117 Project,” Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum unveiled the daunting project at the 5th World Government Summit.
"The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans. Our aim is that the UAE will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality," said Sheikh Mohammad.
He added that the UAE is a world leader in space science.
"The new project is a seed that we plant today, and we expect future generations to reap the benefits, driven by its passion to learn to unveil a new knowledge," he said.
A government statement said the UAE, in conjunction with an international coalition of scientific institutions, will spearhead the initiative.
“Human ambitions have no limits, and whoever looks into the scientific breakthroughs in the current century believes that human abilities can realise the most important human dream,” read the statement.
Mars 2117 plans to emphasise methods of quick transportation between the two planets, as well as develop ways of growing vegetation.
The UAE created a space agency in July 2014 through a presidential decree. One of its primary missions is to launch a satellite to Mars by 2021.
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