The Nikkei Asian Review reported that Myanmar plans to launch its first satellite in 2021 with the help of Japan’s Hokkaido University and Tohoku University, using Japanese technology.
The satellite will be an earth observation satellite, which will be used to raise productivity in agriculture, as well as to prevent and reduce damage from disasters and monitor environmental pollution, Yukihiro Takahashi, a professor at Hokkaido University and director of the university’s Space Mission Center, told Nikkei.
Graduate students from Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University, a national university in Myanmar, will come to Japan and work on the development of the microsatellite weighing about 50 kg and measuring a maximum of about 50 cm on each side.
Under the program, the Myanmar engineers will develop two satellites over five years, and through a series of processes leading up to the launch, will gain expertise in designing satellites and analyzing satellite data. The total cost of JPY 1.7 billion (USD 16 million), including satellite development and launch costs, will be financed by the Myanmar government.
The first seven students were to arrive in Japan in March, but their visit has been delayed due to travel restrictions amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. “The preparation for the program is ongoing and we are ready to welcome the students when the situation gets better,” Takahashi said.
