As the UAE’s Hope spacecraft arrives at Mars, those involved have a mix of confidence and concern about the chances of successfully entering orbit.

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WASHINGTON — As the United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft arrives at Mars, those involved with the mission have a mix of confidence and concern about the chances of successfully entering orbit.

The Emirates Mars Mission, or Hope, spacecraft will arrive at Mars Feb. 9, entering orbit at about 10:41 a.m. Eastern. The spacecraft will fire its main thrusters for 27 minutes to slow it down enough for the planet’s gravity to capture the spacecraft into orbit.

Hughes-Fulford launched on the STS-40 space shuttle mission in June 1991.

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The first American woman to launch into space who was not a professional astronaut but a working scientist, Millie Hughes-Fulford, has died at the age of 75.

Northrop Grumman and United Launch Alliance successfully performed a crucial rocket motor test for ULA’s next-generation rocket, Vulcan Centaur, in preparation for a debut launch later this year.

Ingenuity, a technology experiment, is preparing to attempt the first powered, controlled flight on the Red Planet.

The 37-year-old Isaacman, who’s also an accomplished pilot, will command the four-person “Inspiration4” mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, he and SpaceX announced today (Feb. 1). There will be no professional astronauts aboard; Isaacman is donating the other three seats.

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Isaacman chartered a Crew Dragon flight and is donating the other three seats.