Mars in fiction the past; Mars is a setting rather than a goal. Mariner 4 in July 1965 found that Mars—contrary to expectations—is heavily cratered, with a very thin atmosphere. No canals were found; while scientists did not believe that Mars was a moist planet, the lack of surface water surprised them. Science fiction had so influenced real explorations of the planet, however—Carl Sagan was among the many fans who became scientists—that after Mariner 9 in 1971-1972, craters were named after Wells, Burroughs, and other authors. The Mariner and Viking space probes confirmed that the Martian environment is extremely hostile to life. By
Hope Mars Mission of Emirati engineers, and is a contribution towards a knowledge-based economy in the UAE. The probe has been named "Hope probe" or 'Al-Amal' and it is scheduled to reach Mars in 2021, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates' formation. This spacecraft orbiter is a planned uncrewed mission to Mars by the United Arab Emirates to study the Martian atmosphere and climate. The "Hope" probe is expected to be launched from Japan in the summer of 2020 and it will take seven to nine months to arrive at Mars. To accomplish the objectives of the Emirates