Saudi Arabia launched on Monday two satellites into space.
The Shahin Sat 17, affiliated with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), and CubeSate Satellite, affiliated with King Saud University (KSU), were launched from the Baikonur Base in Kazakhstan on board a Russian Soyuz 2 Rocket that has already reached its orbit, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
The Shahin Sat 17 is a new generation small size satellite and will be used for marine tracking purposes. The CubeSat Satellite is the first satellite to be launched by a Saudi university and aims at preparing and training engineering students in satellite design and programming.
President of KSU Dr. Badran bin Abdulrahman Al-Omar praised the successful launch, extending his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, for supporting innovation and scientific research.
CubeSat will take images of space, the Earth and the moon and send them to the ground station at the university, he told SPA.
The satellite, which weighs one kilogram, was designed and manufactured by about 130 students from the College of Engineering at the university.
KSU plans on launching a larger version of the satellite, Al-Omar revealed.
