Andrew North has reported widely from across India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and central Asia, and is a regular commentator on Asian affairs.
For the first time, Arabic was the countdown language when a Japanese rocket blasted off on July 20 carrying a probe built by the United Arab Emirates toward Mars. China was close behind with its own Mars rocket loaded with a surface rover and an orbiter. NASA capped off the month with the launch of its most ambitious Mars mission yet.
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