Visitors arriving at UAE airports will receive a Martian stamp on their passports in memorial to the Hope Probe’s historic arrival to Mars on Tuesday.
An emblem of the country’s ambition, the stamp produced by the UAE Government Media Office in collaboration with Dubai Airports comes with a special message reading, ‘You’ve arrived in the Emirates. The Emirates is arriving at Mars on 09.02.2021.’
The special passport stamp marks the spacecraft’s upcoming arrival to Mars after it prepares to overcome the most critical phase of its mission to enter the Red Planet’s orbit. The probe says to provide the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere.
The design is made from the ‘Martian Ink’ extracted from volcanic basalt rocks that give Mars its distinct rusty color. The rocks were collected during a special mission to the UAE’s eastern Al Hajar Mountains and Sharjah’s Mleiha Desert by experts and gemologists. They were then crushed into a fine paste, dried in the sun, and mixed with adhesives to create three separate colors that represent the Red Planet, ready for stamping into the passports of thousands of visitors. Basalt rocks, which can only be found in certain parts of the world, date back tens of millions of years and give the UAE’s mountain ranges their distinct rugged look, explains the organization.
The Hope Probe’s historic journey to the Red Planet says to coincide with a year of celebrations to mark the UAE’s Golden Jubilee.
