Bahrain-UAE Nanosatellite Light-1 arrives at International Space Station | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Bahrain-UAE Nanosatellite Light-1 arrives at International Space Station | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

The Bahrain-UAE joint nanosatellite Light-1, whose name was inspired by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s book, First Light, has successfully arrived at the International Space Station (ISS). Light-1 recounts key points in Bahrain's history and the name symbolizes the country’s growth and scientific progress. It was carried aboard a Falcon 9 rocket which launched the SpaceX CRS-24 commercial resupply mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, at 1:06cpm Bahrain time. Its successful arrival at the ISS is the culmination of a trailblazing partnership between the UAE and Bahrain and an achievement of cooperation between the UAE Space Agency, Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA), Khalifa University of Science and Research and New York University Abu Dhabi. It reflects the depth of bilateral ties between both nations, and the level of strategic partnership in all fields, including space, science and technology. Light-1 will be subsequently re-launched into orbit around Earth during the first quarter of 2022 in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. It will then start the region’s first scientific mission to monitor and study terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) from lightning storms and cumulus clouds. The data will be made available to the global scientific