Nepal in Space

Nepal successfully launched its first satellite NepaliSat-1 into space from Virginia in the United States 18 April 2019. Along with a Sri Lankan satellite Raavana 1 it was launched as part of Cygnus NG-11 by the United States. The satellite was developed by the Nepalese scientists.

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli congratulated all the scientists and institutions involved in the development of the satellite. He said it was a matter of prestige for the country to have its own satellite. Spokesperson for the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, NAST, Suresh Kumar Dhungel said the satellite is a bid to open new paths for space engineering in the country.

The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket and its unmanned Cygnus spacecraft launched into the space from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's East Shore, kicking off a two-day voyage to the space station. Liftoff occurred at 4:46 pm EDT on 17th April 2019 (2:16 am 18th April Sri Lanka time).

NepaliSat-1 is a low orbit satellite. It will be stationed at the International Space Station for a month and then it will be sent to orbit the earth. The satellite will take photographs on a regular basis to gather geographical information of the country. It weighs 1.3 kilograms, making it a small satellite with limited capability.

NAST initiated the launch of the country's own satellite under the BIRDS project of the Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology. The BIRDS project has been designed in association with the United Nations and aims at helping countries launch their first satellite.