UAE, Bahrain to launch joint satellite to International Space Station on Tuesday – ITP.net

UAE, Bahrain to launch joint satellite to International Space Station on Tuesday – ITP.net

Light-1, a joint UAE-Bahraini nanosatellite, will be launched to the International Space Station on Tuesday, 21 December. It represents a major milestone of cooperation in space science, technology and engineering between the two nations.

Light-1 will take off on a SpaceX CRS-24 flight on board of a Falcon 9 rocket after undergoing rigorous safety and environmental tests for thermal and vibration, communication systems and more. It will then get deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module (KIBO) in the ISS into orbit, under supervision from the Japanese Aerospace Space Agency (JAXA).

The nanosatellite was built and designed in collaboration between the UAE Space Agency and Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA). It is a testament to the bilateral ties between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE, underscoring the social, economic and scientific cooperation between both countries in priority industries, including space.

Light-1 is a nanosatellite, but it is no different from other larger satellites in terms of the technology or technical expertise required to build or launch it. It is also a cube satellite that consists of three units and is often referred to as a 3U CubeSat.

The name was inspired by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s book, The First