Joint UAE-Bahraini nanosatellite Light-1 set to launch this week

Joint UAE-Bahraini nanosatellite Light-1 set to launch this week

The joint UAE-Bahraini nanosatellite Light-1 will be launched to the International Space Station on 21 December 2021. It represents a major milestone of cooperation in space science, technology and engineering between the UAE and Bahrain. Light-1 will take off onboard 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. Light-1 then will 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), the project was executed at Khalifa University and New York University Abu Dhabi. 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