TOKYO -- A Mars-bound spacecraft will soon launch from Japan, part of a historic mission that, if successful, will showcase the reliability of the country's space exploration technology and serve as a springboard for its own mission in 2024.
The Hope orbiter mission is being led by the United Arab Emirates, marking the first of its kind by a Middle Eastern country. The mission also marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE, a tiny oil-rich Persian Gulf nation.
