Bahrain launches first satellite

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

By Sreekanth Ravindran

The Kingdom of Bahrain has entered the space age with the launch of its first-ever satellite yesterday.

The nanosatellite Light-1, a joint venture between Bahrain and the UAE, blasted off at 1.06 pm (Bahrain time) from the Nasa Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, the US.

 The satellite is being carried by a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station (ISS).

The UAE-Bahraini CubeSat, called Light-1, will monitor and study terrestrial gamma-ray flashes from thunderstorms and cumulus clouds – fluffy clouds with flat bases.

It will spend a few weeks on the ISS, before being deployed into orbit in January to begin operations.

Along with members of the National Space Science Agency (NSSA), students of New York University Abu Dhabi and Khalifa University built the nanosat.

The team included nine Bahrainis and 14 Emiratis.

The nanosat is a joint project by the UAE Space Agency and Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA).

Light-1 has been named after King Hamad’s first book called The First Light, which recounts Bahrain’s history.

It is a 3-unit CubeSat, the most advanced of its kind.

It will measure charged particles above thunderstorms that release harmful levels of radiation and can endanger aircraft passengers.

The particles – known as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes – can expose air passengers to the equivalent of 400 chest X-rays in one flash.

The flashes can also play havoc with a plane’s electronics, putting passengers and crew at risk.

A special crystal detector on the nanosat will help measure the flashes and their potency.

“This is an important step towards establishing Bahrain in the space sector in line with the national strategy for space research,” earlier Bahrain’s NSSA Chief Executive Dr Mohammed Al Aseeri told media.