India to Assist Nepal in Launching First High School CubeSat ‘Munal’ Satellite
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assist in launching Nepal’s Munal satellite. This collaboration is a significant step forward in Nepal’s space ambitions and highlights the strengthening partnership between the two neighboring countries in space exploration.
Munal Satellite Overview
Munal, named after a native bird of Nepal, is Nepal’s first high school CubeSat, developed by a group of high school students under the mentorship of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and Antarikchya Pratisthan Nepal. The satellite is a key educational project aimed at providing hands-on experience in space technology to Nepalese students.
Objectives of Munal
The Munal satellite’s mission is divided into primary and secondary objectives:
- Primary Objectives:
- To design, build, test, and launch Nepal’s first high school CubeSat.
- To demonstrate an in-house developed Satellite System-on-Chip (SSoC) for communication and onboard computing.
- To continue the missions initiated by Nepal’s first satellite, NepaliSat-1, which include the Store and Forward (S&F) mission and the Imaging Mission.
- Secondary Objectives:
- To create a vegetation density database of Earth’s surface.
- To implement AI-based image segmentation for landmass identification, enhancing the efficiency of image data downlinks.
- Although initially planned, the objective to collect radiation dose rate data in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was later dropped.
Image Credit: KUHS
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Missions of Munal Satellite
To fulfil these objectives, Munal is equipped with the following missions:
- Camera Mission: This mission focuses on capturing high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface to support the vegetation density database.
- Passive Attitude Control and Determination Mission: This mission ensures the satellite maintains its correct orientation in space.
- SSoC Payload Demonstration Mission: This mission showcases the in-house developed SSoC technology, a key innovation for the satellite’s operations.
- Art Mission: Munal will also carry audio-visual materials that represent Nepal’s cultural heritage, merging space exploration with artistic expression.
This initiative not only enhances Nepal’s capabilities in space technology but also inspires the younger generation to engage in science and engineering, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s space journey.
