Technology and Science05 April, 20261 min read
Saudi Arabia Becomes First Arab Nation in NASA's Artemis Mission
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Saudi Arabia becomes first Arab nation in Artemis II with the Shams satellite. Shams was deployed on the Space Launch System and established initial communication.
Historic Launch
Saudi Arabia became the first Arab nation to participate in NASA's Artemis program. The Shams satellite was deployed on the Space Launch System alongside the Orion spacecraft.
The shuttle carries four astronauts on humanity's first crewed lunar flyby in over five decades. The satellite will study space weather phenomena from a highly elliptical orbit.
Shams' Orbital Mission
Shams will operate in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 500 to 70,000 kilometers. Its scientific focus centers on space weather, including space radiation and solar X-rays.
The data aims to improve understanding of space weather's impact on critical sectors. The satellite was developed domestically by Saudi talent under Vision 2030.
