Bahrain’s Al Munther satellite: How the island nation is building its future in space

The kingdom is developing Earth-observation satellites and teaming up with space powers like China to reach the Moon

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries Bahrain's Al Munther nanosatellite into orbit, along with other international payloads, on Saturday. AFP

Bahrain’s first domestically built satellite is only another step towards bigger goals the kingdom has in the space sector, engineers from the country’s space agency have told The National.

The smallest nation in the GCC, with a population of 1.6 million, Bahrain launched a 3.2kg nanosatellite, called Al Munther, on a SpaceX rocket that lifted off from California on Saturday. It is the latest in a series of achievements for the wider region’s space sector, led by the UAE, including the development of advanced Earth-observation satellites; the launch of astronauts into space; partnerships with Nasa on a Moon-orbiting station; and the successful placement of a probe around Mars.

Ali Al Mahmood, head of satellite operations at Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA), hopes the kingdom will build larger satellites in the coming years. “It is really exciting to see the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and us entering the space race,” he said.

“The US, Russia and China have been developing satellites for a long time, so to see Arab countries getting involved is exciting. It’s hard to see what the future will be as we are still celebrating our first Bahraini satellite, but we are really excited to see bigger satellites and to have collaboration with the UAE again and Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, in 10 to 20 years, we’ll be an established country in the sector.”

Al Munther will be used for environmental monitoring and disaster response efforts, and is equipped with artificial intelligence-powered image processing, cybersecurity features and radio broadcast capabilities. Developing the nanosatellite was made possible because of the experience gained by engineers during a previous satellite project that Bahrain and the UAE carried out together in 2022.

The two nations developed the Light-1 nanosatellite, which has enhanced the study of charged particles above thunderstorms that release harmful levels of radiation.

Marwan Almeer, a senior engineer at Bahrain's space agency, told The National that the radio technology on the satellite will broadcast the national anthem and a message by King Hamad. “Some of the hands-on experience we received from this was the integration and assembly of the satellite,” he said.

Bahrain’s first step into space

Mr Al Mahmood said one of the most important goals of the current project is to develop local expertise. “It will also be inspiring and motivational for young adults to engage in STEM (science, tech, engineers and maths) fields,” he said.

For Mr Al Mahmood, the journey to leading Bahrain’s first satellite mission began with a passion for space exploration. “I graduated from the University of Bahrain as a mechanical engineer,” he said. “Right after enrolling in NSSA, I was sent to Khalifa University to study for my master’s in engineering systems and management.

“During that time I learnt the foundations of space design and operations. We also worked on the Light-1 satellite then.”

The Light-1 nanosatellite was developed by Bahrain and the UAE. In this image, it is seen being released into orbit by Japan space agency's Kibo robotic arm in 2023. Photo: JAXA

Regional and global collaboration

Bahrain is already forming international partnerships, including on China's Chang'e-7 robotic mission to the Moon. The Chang’e-7 mission, scheduled for late 2026, aims to search for water ice and other resources at the lunar south pole. Chang’e-8, meanwhile, is expected to test in situ resource utilisation technologies, which could pave the way for future human settlement on the Moon.

Bahrain has partnered with Egypt to develop a hyperspectral camera payload, called LunaHcam, for the Chang'e-7 mission. The technology can accurately analyse the chemical make-up of the Moon’s surface, helping scientists learn more about its composition and find the best locations for future landings and resource collection. China has been expanding its space diplomacy by offering emerging nations an alternative to western-led programmes such as Nasa's.

Other Gulf countries are also expanding their activities in the space sector. Oman is developing a commercial spaceport. It will be carrying out five test launches this year and hopes operations at the site will begin before the end of this decade.

Kuwait also sent a nanosatellite, the Kuwait Sat-1, into space in 2023 aboard a SpaceX rocket. Engineers from the country are now developing a rocket that they hope to test launch from the Omani spaceport this year. Saudi Arabia launched two citizens, including the first Arab woman, to the International Space Station in 2023.