First satellite developed in Armenia launches on Dec. 1

Hayasat-1, the first satellite developed by Armenian specialists in Armenia was launched on Friday into space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Base in Santa Barbara, Calif., News.am reported.

The satellite is unique in that it constantly rotates around the axis of the Earth and is oriented in the same way with respect to the Sun. That is, every time the satellite crosses the earth’s equator at about the same time, at that moment we have communication sessions.

According to preliminary data, on Saturday morning it will already be possible to communicate with the satellite. This still does not mean that the connection will work, because the satellite has been off for a long time, from the Netherlands to the U.S., and during this time the batteries may have gradually lost their charge, which means that it may not have enough charge to immediately start its functions.

Later it will charge in the sunlight, become ready for operation, and open the antennae. However, the Armenian specialists will try to use the first opportunity on Saturday to contact the satellite. There are also many other satellites in the rocket.

The flight was originally planned for November 29, but it was postponed for two days.

The Hayasat-1 satellite was created by the Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory and the Center for Scientific Innovation and Education and is the second Armenian satellite to be launched into space, but it is the first one developed and created by Armenian specialists in Armenia.

The satellite is equipped with sensors that measure the intensity of light falling on its different sides, magnetometers that act as a compass for the satellite, magnetometers that dampen the rotation of the satellite, sensors that measure the temperatures of the most critical parts of various modules, as well as inertial sensors that measure changes in orientation.

It also has a secondary payload, the measurements of which will provide data on the satellite’s rotations, position and motion. It consists of a GPS receiver with its antennas and an experimental inertial measurement unit (IMU) designed and built in Armenia.