On Sunday, a Japanese-built rocket launched a 1.35-ton probe sponsored by the United Arab Emirates into low-Earth orbit. The spacecraft is now on its way toward Mars, where it is intended to enter orbit around the Red Planet in February, 2021.

The “Mars Hope” mission represents a partnership between the Arab country—which seeks to inspire a future generation of scientists and engineers—and several US academic institutions, including the University of Colorado Boulder. The program was managed in the United Arab Emirates, and the spacecraft was built in a laboratory in Colorado.

“This is a huge leap forward for the UAE’s ambitious space program,” Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, chair of the UAE Space Agency, said after the launch. “The mission is a catalyst that has already served to significantly accelerate the development of the UAE’s space, education, science and technologies sectors.”