Thailand’s first military satellite will launch into space Friday from South America.
After three launches were scrubbed due to technical issues and then the pandemic, the Napa-1 surveillance nanosatellite will enter space aboard a European Space Agency missing taking off from French Guiana.
According to an Air Force announcement, it will be used for aerial surveillance and national security, as well as disaster prevention and mitigation. Its cost has not been disclosed.
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 centimeters.
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.
Arianespacewill livestream the launch via its YouTube channel starting at 8:30am on Friday.
