Thailand’s First Military Satellite To Launch Friday

After previously cancelling three launches, Thailand’s first military satellite will reportedly launch into space on Friday.

The Napa-1 surveillance nanosatellite will be launched in South America aboard a European Space Agency take off from the French Guiana.

The launch marks the fourth attempt by the military after the first three proved unsuccessful due to technical issues and the current Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an Air Force announcement, the satellite will be used for aerial surveillance and national security, as well as disaster prevention and mitigation.

The satellite was manufactured by Innovative Solutions in Space, a Dutch company that specializes in so-called CubeSats, which are small, affordable and measure in centimetres. Its cost, however, has not been disclosed.

After launching at 8:51am on Friday (Bangkok time) aboard an Arianespace Vega rocket, the satellite will be placed into a geosynchronous, low-Earth orbit at about 500 kilometers. It will mesh with a companion satellite, the Napa-2, scheduled for launch next month.

Arianespace will live stream the launch via its YouTube channel starting at 8:30am on Friday. Watch HERE

 

SOURCE: Coconuts Bangkok

 

 

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