Nepal to Work With Japan to Launch Micro-Satellites

Nepal is going to collaborate along with more than 20 countries in a Japanese project to launch about 20 microsatellites over the next three years, reports Asian Review.

The Details:

• The plan by a team from the University of Tokyo plans to launch the satellites to supplement telecommunications infrastructure.
• The project will help Nepal and other emerging countries get into space and perhaps spur future demand for satellites and related services.
• It will supplement existing telecommunications infrastructure, facilitating measurement of water levels and temperatures from sensors installed in rivers, farmland and other locations.
• The information from the satellites can be used to monitor floods and other changes in the environment.
• In an early February test, the team used an SS-520 rocket from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to launch a Tricom-1R microsatellite, known as “Tasuki,” into orbit.

Why it matters:

• These microsatellites will only be 3 Kg that is less than one thousandth the weight of a conventional satellite. It is comparatively inexpensive and has a relatively short development time of one or two years.
• The inexpensive satellites could prompt emerging countries to buy their own and motivate them to begin space efforts.