Investigating the Martian atmosphere

It's the first space exploration mission ever to be undertaken by a Middle Eastern state, and it promises to answer some vital questions about how Mars became an arid desert.

At the Dubai Airshow, scientists from the United Arab Emirates have been showing the public and the international media their project to launch a satellite to orbit Mars, as the director-general of the UAE's space agency, Dr Mohammed Naser al Ahbabi, explained to the BBC's Jeremy Howell.

Animation: UAE Space Agency