June 4, Sunday saw the launch of Mongolia’s very first satellite ‘Mazaalai’, made by Mongolians, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida at 5.50 AM (Ulaanbaatar time). The launch was supposed to take place on June 2, but it was postponed due to weather factor.

Within the framework of international BIRDS project, realized under the auspices of UNESCO and Government of Japan, the Mongolian miniature satellite ‘Mazaalai’ was thus launched to space alongside the satellites of Japan, Nigeria, Ghana and Bangladesh and other participating countries of the project.

Named after Mazaalai, a Gobi bear found in only Mongolia, the satellite was designed, developed and experimented by three Mongolian students, D.Erdenebaatar, D.Amartuvshin and T.Turtogtokh studying at the Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan.

The miniature satellite is capable of taking 100 m resolution images in the altitude of around 400km, transmitting data through 437 MHz frequency modulation, identifying satellite locations, determining air density in the altitude of 400 km, detecting space radiation and using ground stations as an international network.

National University of Mongolia celebrated the historic moment of launching Mongolia’s first ever satellite at 5 o’clock in the morning in front of its headquarters.