Sri Lanka’s third nano satellite, developed with the technical expertise of local engineers, is scheduled to be launched into orbit today (19), the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies in Moratuwa, has announced.

Named ‘BIRDS-X Dragonfly’, the satellite was carried to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX-33 rocket, launched by the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration on 24 August.

Previously, in 2019, Sri Lanka successfully launched its first nano satellite, ‘Ravana-1’, and in 2022, the ‘KITSUNE’ satellite was launched.

Accordingly, the BIRDS-X Dragonfly nano satellite is scheduled to be released into its designated orbit from the ISS at 2.15 p.m. today.

The main missions of BIRDS-X: In-orbit testing of a new communication sub-system design (Testing in the space-conditions, a new low-cost ultra high frequency transceiver, and exploring affordable and reliable ground-to-space communications), automatic packet receiving system (APRS) Digipeater (Provide a satellite-based platform to relay APRS messages, enabling radio operators and researchers to experiment with satellite communication using their own Digipeater designs), and store-and-forward communication (Demonstrate a data relay system where user messages can be uploaded, stored onboard, and later downlinked to ground stations in different regions).