Bahrain’s first locally-made satellite entered sun-synchronous orbit approximately 550 kilometres above sea level yesterday, in a historic leap for the kingdom’s space programme.
‘Al Munther’ lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, yesterday at 9.43am, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and then was launched into orbit approximately 54 minutes after take-off.
The National Space Science Agency (NSSA) confirmed that the 3.2kg nanosatellite had entered orbit, deployed its solar panels and sensors and successfully sent its first signal to ground receiving stations.
NSSA chief executive Dr Mohammed Al Aseeri expressed his sincere congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister, as well as National Security Adviser, Royal Guard Commander and Supreme Defence Council secretary-general Lieutenant General Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on the occasion of the successful launch of the Bahraini satellite.
Launched alongside 73 other payloads, ‘Al Munther’ smoothly entered orbit on board the dedicated ride-share SmallSat mission.
It features four locally-developed payloads, including a medium resolution space camera, artificial intelligence-based image processing, cybersecurity module and a unique radio transmission payload, which will broadcast Bahrain’s national anthem and a message from His Majesty King Hamad that can be decoded and received by amateur radio enthusiasts and satellite receiving stations around the world.
Al Munther also has the Mena region’s first AI-powered image processing module, marking a significant leap in onboard computing capabilities.
The satellite underwent a series of rigorous tests to ensure its ability to withstand harsh space conditions and operate efficiently after launch.
These were conducted in several specialised regional and international facilities. Payload readiness tests were performed at UAE’s National Space Science and Technology Centre, which aimed to verify the performance of the space camera and its ability to operate in harsh conditions.
Further environmental tests were completed at the Egyptian Space Agency, including thermal endurance and vibration tests that simulate conditions experienced by the satellite during launch and during orbit.
Final tests were conducted in the Netherlands in co-operation with Dutch CubeSat manufacturer ISISPACE.
Al Munther’s remote sensing payload, with a medium resolution space camera capable of capturing images of 20 metres per pixel will take pictures of Bahrain and its territorial waters from outer space. These images can later be analysed for use in environmental and agricultural studies, climate change impact analysis, coastal monitoring and more, which will be conducted by various government agencies.
Meanwhile, an AI payload will directly analyse these images on board before transmitting them to a ground station on Earth. This payload is the first of its kind in the region and uses advanced AI to automatically analyse images, and classify them based on scientific usefulness.
In addition, a cybersecurity payload will protect the data collected as part of Al Munther’s mission and ensure that it is not exposed to any unauthorised hacking or modification.
And finally, a radio broadcast payload will promote Bahrain and its national identity in space, broadcasting the kingdom’s national anthem worldwide to ham radio operators and satellite stations. The broadcast will also feature a speech by His Majesty, highlighting Bahrain’s achievements.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
Top officials witness launch – Page 7
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