BHUTAN-1 was the first Bhutanese satellite 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 June 29, 2018. It was deployed from the Kibo module of the International Space Station on August 10, 2018. The satellite has cameras to image the Earth.
Background
The Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan supports non-spacefaring countries to build their first satellite through a program called The Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite project. Five countries participated in the first Birds program. In 2016, Bhutanese Prime MinisterTshering 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. Three satellites were developed during the Birds-2 program: BHUTAN-1, UiTMSAT-1 and Maya-1. BHUTAN-1 was designed by Bhutanese graduate students who were pursuing their master's degree at Kyutech. The satellite was developed under the Kyutech-led second Joint Global Multination Birds Project.
Development
The Birds-2 project commenced in November 2016. BHUTAN-1 is classified as a 1U CubeSat and measures 10×10×11.35 cm and weighs. The satellite was developed and designed by a team of four Bhutanese engineers. The satellite is part of their master's degree in space engineering at Kyutech. 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.
The satellite operates at an altitude of and passes over Bhutan for three to four minutes four to five times per day. Its designed lifespan is six to nine months, though reportedly it can last up to two years. BHUTAN-1's two cameras capture satellite imagery of Bhutan to help assess the country's glaciers, lakes, and forest cover. It also provides basic communication services and is used to study radiation effects on satellites. While BHUTAN-1 was built solely by the Bhutanese, the satellite is jointly controlled and operated by the Bhutan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. BHUTAN-1 is tracked from the ground station operated by Bhutan's Information and Communications Ministry.
