Saudi Arabia will launch its first commercial satellites into space from the Baikanur Launch Pad in Kazhakstan on Tuesday, a project official announced.
Three low-altitude satellites will be launched 650 kilometres into outer space tomorrow, the Team Leader and Project Manager at the Space Research Centre of King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Riyadh, Abdul Aziz Al-Sugair, said.
Of the three satellites, SaudiComsat 1 and 2 are for commercial use in data communication, said Al-Sugair, who arrived from Kazakhstan on Sunday to monitor the post-launch process from KACST. The third satellite, SaudiSat 2, has been launched for experimental purposes, including remote-sensing, and other scientific research, he told the Saudi Gazette.
The satellites will be in orbit ten minutes subsequent to their launch at 12:30pm Kazhakstan time (8:30am local time). Saudi Arabia will have full control of the satellites, Al-Sugair said. It will take between two days and two weeks to stabilize the satellites in orbit, he added.
Following Tuesday’s launch, Saudi Arabia will have a total of six satellites in space.
Source: SPA
