The 'Munal' satellite, made in Nepal, is set to be sent into space on Monday.
What you should know
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is set to launch 16 satellites, including Munal, aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C62) rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. The launch is scheduled for 10:32 am Nepali time.
Munal 'One U' Cube Satellite, measuring 10 cubic centimeters and weighing about one kilogram, was built with the participation of secondary school students. Munal was prepared by students from Banepa, Dhulikhel and Panauti in Kavre at the Space Systems Laboratory of Kathmandu University High School (KUHS). Munal was prepared with the special initiative and collaboration of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Space Foundation Nepal.
This satellite has two cameras installed, one 1.3-megapixel RGB and one infrared. It will help in mapping the greenery and studying the density of the Earth. With the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology used in it, the satellite has the ability to select and capture appropriate images.
Dr. The project, led by Abhas Maskey, includes a Store and Forward (S&F) mission and a separate ‘art board’ showcasing Nepali art and culture. The Munal satellite, which was built at a cost of about Rs 20 million, is set to be placed in a ‘Sun-synchronous orbit’ (SSO) about 550 km above the Earth.
After reaching space, it will send the data it collects to the ground station in NAST. Earlier, Nepal had started its space journey through Nepali Sat-1. However, the Munal satellite was developed by school-level students in the country. This launch from the Indian Space Research Organization is seen as an important milestone in Nepal’s space history.
In tomorrow’s rocket launch, payloads (equipment) from various other countries are being sent into space along with Nepal’s Munal satellite. ISRO has launched 434 foreign satellites in 25 years, Orbital Today reported. The number will reach 442 after the January 12 mission, which will put a total of 16 satellites, including eight foreign payloads, into orbit.
Other payloads include satellites like KID developed by Spanish space startup Orbital Paradigm, Orbital Temple built by Brazil, and Thesis-2 from the UK. According to the Times of India, a satellite called Anvesh or EOS-N1 developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also being sent into space. This satellite, built for the Indian Army, is for surveillance purposes. The hyperspectral imaging payload in it can identify the material of any object by analyzing light in a finer way.
The same mission is also launching the ‘Ayusat’ built by Bengaluru’s ‘OrbitAid Aerospace’. If successful, it will be India’s first step in demonstrating ‘on-orbit refueling’ or in-space refueling technology. Shakti Kumar Ramachandran, founder and CEO of OrbitAid, describes Ayusat as not just a mission but also the ‘foundation of an on-orbit economy’.
