BHUTAN-1

Last updated

BHUTAN-1
BHUTAN-1 over Earth (Iss056e130515) (cropped).jpg
BHUTAN-1 above Earth
NamesBIRD-BT
Mission type Technology demonstration
Operator Kyushu Institute of Technology
COSPAR ID 1998-067PF OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 43591
Website birds2.birds-project.com
Mission duration6-9 months (planned) 27 months (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type1U CubeSat
Manufacturer Kyushu Institute of Technology
Launch mass1.11 kg
Dimensions10 × 10 × 11.35 cm
Start of mission
Launch date29 June 2018, 09:42 UTC
Rocket Falcon 9 Full Thrust
Launch site Cape Canaveral, SLC-40
Contractor SpaceX
Deployed from International Space Station
Deployment date10 August 2018
End of mission
DisposalDecay from orbit
Decay date18 November 2020 [1]
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit [2]
Regime Low Earth orbit
Periapsis altitude 355 km
Apoapsis altitude 362 km
Inclination 51.64°
  Birds-1
 

BHUTAN-1 was the first Bhutanese nanosatellite to be launched into space. The satellite was built during Kyushu Institute of Technology's Birds-2 program. The Birds program helps countries fly their first satellite. BHUTAN-1 was launched into orbit aboard the SpaceX CRS-15 mission on 29 June 2018. It was deployed from the Kibō module of the International Space Station (ISS) on 10 August 2018. The satellite had cameras to image the Earth.

Contents

Background

The Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) in Japan supports non-spacefaring countries to build their first satellite through a program called the Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project (Birds). Five countries participated in the first Birds program (Birds-1). [3] [4]

In 2016, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay mentioned plans to set up a space agency with Bhutan's Information and Communications Ministry. According to Tobgay, plans to launch the first Bhutanese satellite to space came from Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. [5]

Three satellites were developed during the Birds-2 program: BHUTAN-1 (Bhutan), UiTMSAT-1 (Malaysia) and Maya-1 (Philippines). BHUTAN-1 was designed by Bhutanese graduate students who were pursuing their master's degree at Kyutech (Kyushu Institute of Technology). [6] The satellite was developed under the Kyushu Institute of Technology-led second Joint Global Multi-nations Birds Satellite (Birds-2). [7]

Development

The Birds-2 project commenced in November 2016. [5] BHUTAN-1 was classified as a 1U CubeSat and measures 10 × 10 × 11.35 cm and weighs 1.11 kilograms (2.4 lb). [6] [8] The satellite was developed and designed by a team of four Bhutanese engineers. The satellite was part of their master's degree in space engineering at Kyushu Institute of Technology. [9]

The designing and testing of BHUTAN-1 began by March 2017. The functions of each sub-system of the satellite was verified before the first engineering model of BHUTAN-1 was built in June of the same year. By October 2017, the second engineering model was completed and the development of the flight module commenced. [5]

Mission

Launch

Birds-2 in the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer. Birds-2 on ISS (Iss056e100586).jpg
Birds-2 in the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer.
Birds-2 satellites deployed from the Kibo module. Birds-2 deployed from Kibo (Iss056e130478).jpg
Birds-2 satellites deployed from the Kibō module.

BHUTAN-1 was launched to space on 29 June 2018, via the Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket at Cape Canaveral in Florida, as part of the SpaceX CRS-15 Commercial Resupply Service mission. [6] Maya-1 and UiTMSAT-1 which were also developed under the Birds-2 project were also among the payload of the rocket. [10] BHUTAN-1 was deployed from Kibō module of the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2018, becoming the first Bhutanese satellite. [11]

Operations

The satellite operated at an altitude of around 400 km (decaying to lower orbit as time passed) and passed over Bhutan for three to four minutes four to five times per day. Its designed lifespan was six to nine months, though theoretically it could last up to two years. BHUTAN-1's two cameras captured satellite imagery of Bhutan to help assess the country's glaciers, lakes, and forest cover. It also provided basic communication services and was used to study radiation effects on satellites. [6] While BHUTAN-1 was built solely by the Bhutanese, the satellite was jointly controlled and operated by the Bhutan, Malaysia, and Philippines. [7]

BHUTAN-1 was tracked from the ground station operated by the Information and Communications Ministry of Bhutan. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanoracks</span> Private space hardware and services company

Nanoracks LLC is a private in-space services company which builds space hardware and in-space repurposing tools. The company also facilitates experiments and launches of CubeSats to Low Earth Orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cygnus NG-11</span> 2019 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

NG-11, previously known as OA-11, is the twelfth flight of the Northrop Grumman robotic resupply spacecraft Cygnus and its eleventh flight to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract with NASA. The mission launched on 17 April 2019 at 20:46:07 UTC. This is the last mission from the extended CRS-1 contract; follow-up missions are part of the CRS-2 contract. Cygnus NG-11 was also the first mission to load critical hardware onto Cygnus within the last 24 hours prior to launch, a new Antares feature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GhanaSat-1</span> First ghanaian spacecraft

GhanaSat-1 was the first Ghanaian nanosatellite to be launched into space. It was designed and built in two years in conjunction with the Kyushu Institute of Technology Birds-1 program, which has the goal of helping countries build their first satellite.

<i>Mazaalai</i> (satellite) First Mongolian spacecraft

Mazaalai was a Mongolian nanosatellite CubeSat that was launched into space on 3 June 2017 as part of the SpaceX CRS-11 mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BRAC Onnesha</span> First Bangladeshi nanosatellite

BRAC Onnesha was the first nanosatellite built in Bangladesh to be launched into space. The satellite was designed and built in conjunction with Kyushu Institute of Technology Birds-1 program, which has the goal of helping countries build their first satellite. It was designed and built over a two-year period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigeria EduSat-1</span> Nigerian CubeSat

Nigeria EduSat-1 was a Nigerian nanosatellite built by the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), created in conjunction with the Japanese Birds-1 program. It was Nigeria's first satellite built by a university. It was launched from the Japanese Kibō module of the International Space Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birds-1</span> First iteration of a multinational program to help countries build their first satellite

Birds-1 was the first iteration of a multinational program called the Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project, or Birds project, to help countries build their first satellite. The Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) supported the design and fabrication of the satellites. The constellation was launched by a Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station on 3 June 2017, as part of CRS-11, where it was released from the Kibō module into space. Japan, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh participated in the Birds-1 program, all building identical satellites for the constellation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PHL-Microsat</span> Satellite program of the Philippines

The Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite (PHL-Microsat) was a satellite program carried by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the Philippines in cooperation with the Tohoku and Hokkaido Universities of Japan.

UBAKUSAT was a Turkish nanosatellite that was developed by Istanbul Technical University. It was launched into space on board a Falcon-9 rocket in April 2018 and was deployed into its orbit from the International Space Station in May 2018. It was built as a technology demonstration and earth observation satellite to provide voice communications for amateur radio stations around the world. It carried an experimental card, TAMSAT Simplesat, which allowed scientists to test its accuracy of measuring radiation from space. It was the fifth satellite to be built by students of Istanbul Technical University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya-1</span> First nanosatellite filipino spacecraft

Maya-1 was a Filipino nanosatellite. It was developed under the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite program (PHL-Microsat) and was jointly implemented by the University of the Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology as part of the Kyushu Institute of Technology-led multinational second Joint Global Multi-nations Birds Satellite (Birds-2). Maya-1 was the first nanosatellite of the Philippines.

The Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement is a space technology program by the Philippine government. It is considered as the successor program to the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite (PHL-Microsat) program, a cooperation between the Philippine government and Japanese universities to develop microsatellites. The program is funded under the Department of Science and Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UiTMSAT-1</span> First nanosatellite Malaysian spacecraft

UiTMSAT-1 was a Malaysian nanosatellite, built primarily by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) as part of the multi-nation Birds-2 project. The 1U CubeSat was launched into space on 29 June 2018 and deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on 10 August 2018.

Birds-2 is the second iteration of a multinational program called the Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project, or Birds project, to help countries build their first satellite. The Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) supported the design and fabrication of the satellites. The satellites were launched by the Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket as a part of the SpaceX CRS-15 mission on 29 June 2018. The satellites were released from the Kibō module of the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2018.

NepaliSat-1, also known as Bird NPL, was a Nepalese low orbit research satellite and the first satellite of Nepal. Along with a Sri Lankan satellite, Raavana 1, it was launched as part of Cygnus NG-11 by the United States on 17 April 2019. It reached the International Space Station on 19 April 2019, to be deployed later, and was estimated to revolve the Earth for six months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raavana 1</span> Sri Lankan research satellite

Raavana-1 was the first Sri Lankan satellite. The CubeSat-sized satellite was launched as part of the Cygnus NG-11 mission to the ISS on 17 April 2019. On 17 June 2019, the satellite was deployed into orbit from the ISS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX CRS-23</span> 2021 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX CRS-23, also known as SpX-23, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station, successfully launched on 29 August 2021 and docking the following day. The mission was contracted by NASA and was flown by SpaceX using the Cargo Dragon C208. This was the third flight for SpaceX under NASA's CRS Phase 2 contract awarded in January 2016. It was the second mission for this reusable capsule.

Maya-2 was a Filipino nanosatellite. It succeeded Maya-1, the first Filipino nanosatellite, which was deorbited in November 2020.

GuaraníSat-1 was the first Paraguayan satellite. The nanosatellite's development was part of a collaboration between the Paraguayan Space Agency and the fourth Joint Global Multination Birds Satellite (Birds-4) multi-national project initiated by the Kyushu Institute of Technology of Japan.

References

  1. "BIRD-BT (BHUTAN-1)". N2YO.com. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  2. "BHUTAN-1 – Satellite Information". Heavens Above. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  3. "Bird B, BTN, G, J, M, MYS, N, PHL (BRAC Onnesha, GhanaSat-1, Toki, Mazaalai, Nigeria EduSat-1)". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  4. Francisco, Mikael Angelo (1 July 2018). "Space To Excel: Why The First Pinoy-Made Cube Satellite Matters". FlipScience. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "BHUTAN-1 expected to be in space by May 2018". Kuensel. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Palden, Tshering (30 June 2018). "BHUTAN-1 leaves for space". kuenselonline.com. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Maya-1: Cube satellite latest Pinoy venture into space". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  8. "Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project" (PDF) (in Japanese). Kyushu Institute of Technology. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  9. Seldon, Perma (30 June 2018). "Bhutan launches its first satellite into space". The Bhutanese. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  10. Panela, Shaira (29 June 2018). "Philippines launches first CubeSat into space". Rappler. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  11. "Three CubeSats successfully deployed from Kibō as part of Birds Project!". JAXA. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2020.