Officials are celebrating a successful launch of a Japanese rocket. It's part of the United Arab Emirates mission to Mars. Scientists and researchers in the UAE hope it will shed new light on the red planet.

The Hope probe began its 7-month journey to Mars on Monday morning. It was carried into space by an "H2A" rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.

A Japanese rocket has been launched, carrying the United Arab Emirates' Mars explorer into space.

The "H2A" rocket carrying the "Hope" probe lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan on Monday morning, local time.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi have agreed to work together to help defuse tensions in the Middle East.

Abe flew to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia on Monday on the second leg of his three-nation tour of the region.