Gulf Insider
The Saudi Space Agency announced the successful launch and initial communication with the Saudi satellite “Shams,” which was deployed aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) as part of the Artemis II mission. The milestone marks Saudi Arabia as the first Arab country to participate in a mission under NASA’s Artemis program, aimed at advancing scientific innovation and strengthening international partnerships in space exploration. Artemis II represents the second phase of the Artemis program, led by NASA with broad international participation, and aims to return humans to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time in more than five decades, paving the way for future missions to Mars. The mission carries a crew of four astronauts on the Orion spacecraft in the first crewed lunar orbit mission, powered by the SLS, the most powerful launch vehicle ever operated. The Saudi satellite “Shams” is among the scientific payloads onboard. “Shams” will operate in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO), ranging from approximately 500 km to 70,000 km from Earth, enabling wide coverage to monitor solar and radiation activity and support advanced space weather studies. The satellite represents multiple milestones, including the first Arab mission launched in Artemis and Saudi Arabia’s first dedicated […]
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