The launch of the “Al -Mundhir” satellite with great success is an official announcement of the entry of the Kingdom of Bahrain into the space world, by establishing an integrated system of technical knowledge, engineering skills, and space infrastructure that will support future efforts in this field. The National Space Science Authority aspires to build on this success, as the development of new satellites is studied that meets the Kingdom’s needs, and contributes to the expansion of national space infrastructure.
This project is the beginning of a new era for the Kingdom of Bahrain in space, as the Kingdom has proven its ability to enter this field strongly, through the implementation of a space project, and the development of technologies and skills that will pave the way for a brighter future in the space sector, and most importantly its step in investing in its young national cadres that will lead the march towards more progress and leadership in this sector.
The “Al -Mundhir” satellite was launched using the Falcon 9 missile, which was developed by Spacex. The missile is also considered one of the most famous space missiles in terms of the number of successful launch times, thanks to its reusable design, which reduces the costs of access to space, and the Falcon 9 missile is a type of missile capable of charging various space loads, which is composed of two phases, partly reusable, with a length of 70 meters, and a diameter of 3.7 meters, and the maximum load is to the low ground orbit (LEO): 22,800 kilograms, maximum load to a fixed space orbit for Earth (GTO): 8,300 kg, and fuel uses: kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
The launch phase began in the first stage, which is taking off and returning to the ground, when taking off, the Falcon 9 missile uses 9 strong engines that pushes it with an enormous force to overcome the power of gravity to leave the surface of the earth, and these engines can be likened to the engines Its return to the ground, and unlike most missiles that are shattered after using it, Falcon 9 can landing vertically on a special platform, allowing it to be reused on future trips, just as the plane can land and quit again.
As for the second stage, which is the stage of communicating the missile load to the orbit, after the separation of the first stage, the second stage begins its work using one engine specifically designed to work in a vacuum (where there is no air to support combustion as it happens within the land field), and this stage can be likened to the flight stage at a high altitude after take off, where the direction is set to reach the final destination, and this stage is responsible for delivering the satellite or the load to the required height, and the engine can be restarted To adjust the load site in the right orbit, just like the pilot set the plane’s path before arrival.
In the third stage, which is the stage of separation and the launch of the load, after reaching the specified orbit, the protective cover that was protecting the load during the trip is opened, and then the “Al -Mundhir” satellite was launched into space to start its journey in the specified orbit.
With the satellite reaching its orbit successfully, the operational stage begins after the launch, which is to test the systems and ensure its readiness to start operational operations, and it is expected that these tests will continue for several weeks before the start of the actual scientific processes of the moon, which includes taking pictures and activating space loads, where the first data and pictures taken, and analyzed by the engineering team in the terrestrial station in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well The team will closely follow the performance of the satellite, to ensure the maximum benefit from this task, which is the first of its kind historically in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The “Al -Mundhir” project won the support of various national institutions, as the Bahrain Defense Force played a pivotal role in providing the necessary infrastructure for the ground station, which enabled the technical teams to create an integrated operating environment to follow the satellite after the launch.
The Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, the Ministry of Information, and the National Communication Center were also part of the system supporting the project, where logistical and media operations were facilitated to ensure the success of the space mission.
The Ministry of Communications and Communications and the Communications Regulatory Authority also facilitated the registration of the necessary frequencies to ensure the operation of the “Al -Mundhir” satellite within the international standards adopted in the field of satellite communications. Besides, Bahrain Polytechnic contributed by providing its laboratories to implement some of the electronics experiences.
Local cooperation was not limited to government institutions only, but some Bahraini startups had an important role in designing some components of the satellite, as some technical parts were developed according to strict space requirements, which reflects the ability of the private sector in the Kingdom to contribute to developing advanced technologies that meet the needs of future space projects.
