Brac's nanosat reaches ISS

Brac Onnesha, the first nano-satellite made by a Bangladeshi university, was launched into space from the Kennedy Space Center, US in the early hours of yesterday.

Mozammel Haque, a Brac University student and leader at the ground station, told The Daily Star by phone that the SpaceX FALCON 9 rocket carrying the nanosat was launched from the space centre around 3:00am Bangladesh time.

It is expected to be deployed into the earth's orbit by International Space Station (ISS) astronauts by the end of June, said Brac University authorities.

Through the launch, Bangladesh entered space for the first time, they said.

Earlier, the rocket carrying the nanosat was scheduled for launch on June 2. According to a Brac University handout, it was postponed due to bad weather.

Once launched into the orbit, the nanosat, a cube measuring 10cm along its edge and weighing around one kilogramme, will be passing over Bangladesh four to six times every day.

The ground station, which will be used for receiving data from the nanosat, has been established at Brac University's Mohakhali campus.

On May 25, Brac founder and Chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed formally inaugurated the ground station, located at the rooftop of Building-4 of the university.

On 8 February, Brac University became the first Bangladeshi educational institution to get its very own nano-satellite, developed and assembled by three of its students -- Abdulla Hil Kafi, Raihana Shams Antara and Maisun Ibn Monowar -- using technology and facilities of a Japanese      university.