Sri Lanka’s first satellite ‘Raavana-1’ was launched from NASA’s Flight Facility on Virginia’s east shore.

• ‘Raavana 1’ weights around 1.05 kg and the lifespan of the satellite is around one and a half years.
• The minimum lifespan of the satellite is around one and a half years and it is expected to be active for five years.
• The satellite was designed and built at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan by two Sri Lankan research engineers.
• Its camera mission is to capture images of Sri Lanka and its neighbouring countries.
• The launch marks Sri Lanka’s entry into the global space age.

The BIRDS project is a UN initiative to help countries launch their first satellite and the Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology has been involved in this particular project.