FOR-A, the manufacturer of a wide-range of broadcast and production products, provided the equipment that played a large part in the coverage of the Mars-bound Hope Probe, as it launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on July 19. It would be the Arab world’s very first interplanetary mission, and the first time the UAE has orbited Mars.
The probe established two-way connection and is expected to reach Mars by next February where it will stay in orbit for a Martian year, or 687 Earth days, to gather data about the planet’s atmosphere. Live video signals from the launch were sent to control rooms both in Japan and the UAE.
The event was covered by the UAE-based Media Mania with its OB2 unit, which is equipped with FOR-A gear, including HVS-2000 3 M/E 3G/HD/SD video switchers, MV-4200 multi-viewers, MFR-5000 Series routing switchers, and FA Series multi-purpose signal processors. FOR-A’s Gear Link virtual control software and TALM tally manager system were used for production control of the large-scale Mars mission, while several FOR-A FA-505 and FA-1010 multi-purpose signal processors on board the OB2 provided frame synchronization of feeds delivered all over the world.
Media Mania’s Managing Director, Roland Daou, talked about covering the launch in a statement. “This was a historic event, and we didn’t want to miss a detail or lose the signal at any point. We set out to capture this launch with the highest possible quality while staying out of the way of the engineers and mission crew, which was particularly challenging, given current distancing requirements. We needed to run and install a lot of cables and remote cameras in the UAE control room to keep our crew to a minimum. We knew this coverage had to be nothing less than perfect. As a production facility and broadcast service company in the UAE, delivering the best product to our clients is our top priority.”
“With OB trucks, you need to select the gear with the most function, best reputation, and smallest footprint. FOR-A are known for their technology and their after-sales support,” he continued.
The Hope Probe was the first of three international missions to Mars, followed by the U.S. and China launching their own missions on July and 30 and July 23 respectively.
You can learn more about FOR-A’s array of products at its website.
