Overview
- Fai-1 lifted off from Vandenberg, California at 10:44 p.m. UAE time on Friday, marking the start of its mission in low Earth orbit.
- The 12U, roughly 20-kilogram CubeSat is the first modular payload-hosting platform developed with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs under the Access to Space for All initiative.
- Once in an orbit of about 500 kilometers, the spacecraft will downlink telemetry and payload data to MBRSC’s control station for analysis and sharing with partners.
- Onboard experiments include Bahrain’s data-encryption software, a LoRa long-range communications test from Nepal’s Antarikshya Pratisthan, an MBRSC high-resolution video camera, and Sharjah Academy’s thermal and attitude sensor.
- MBRSC built and integrated the satellite in the UAE and frames the mission as a capacity-building effort to expand equitable access to space and support research and education over an expected one-year lifetime.