Birds-2
{{short description|Second iteration of a multinational program to help countries build their first satellite}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{for|the made-for-television horror film|The Birds II: Land's End}}
File:UiTMSAT-1 in space (Iss056e130490) (cropped).jpg nanosatellite in space]]
File:Birds-2 deployed from Kibo (Iss056e130478).jpg.]]
Birds-2 is the second iteration of a multinational program called the Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project, or Birds project, to help countries build their first satellite. The Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) supported the design and fabrication of the satellites. The satellites were launched by the Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket as a part of the SpaceX CRS-15 mission on 29 June 2018. The satellites were released from the Kibō module of the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2018.
Description
The Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) in Japan supports non-spacefaring countries to build their first satellite through a program called the Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project (Birds). Five countries had their satellites successfully launched in the Birds-1 flight: Japan, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.{{cite web |url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/bird.htm|title=Bird B, BTN, G, J, M, MYS, N, PHL (BRAC Onnesha, GhanaSat-1, Toki, Mazaalai, Nigeria EduSat-1)|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|access-date=July 24, 2017 |url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630201409/http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/bird.htm|archive-date=June 30, 2017}} Three countries participated in the Birds-2 program: Bhutan, the Philippines, and Malaysia.{{cite web|url=https://amsat-uk.org/2018/08/03/birds-2-cubesats-iss-august-10/|title=Birds-2 CubeSats to deploy from ISS August 10|date=August 3, 2018|publisher=AMSAT-UK|access-date=December 30, 2018}} UiTMSAT-1 was Malaysia's first university-built satellite.{{cite web |url=http://brudirect.com/news.php?id=49673|title=Uitm Reaches Milestone In Space|last1=Alam|first1=Shah|publisher=www.BruDirect.com|date=June 30, 2018|access-date=December 31, 2018}} Bhutan's satellite, BHUTAN-1, was the country's first satellite.{{cite web|url=http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/kiboexp/news/180626_birds-2.html|title=CubeSats for Birds-2 handed over to JAXA. Launch preparations completed! |date=June 26, 2018|publisher=JAXA|access-date=February 17, 2020}} The Philippines built their first cubesat, Maya-1.
All three satellites were built identically, and were designed to last 6–9 months.{{cite web|url=http://www.moic.gov.bt/en/press-releaselaunch-of-bhutans-first-satellite-bhutan-1/|title=Press Release: Launch of Bhutan's First Satellite BHUTAN-1|date=June 29, 2018|publisher=Bhutan Ministry of Information and Communications|access-date=December 31, 2018|archive-date=January 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108050527/http://www.moic.gov.bt/en/press-releaselaunch-of-bhutans-first-satellite-bhutan-1/|url-status=dead}} The satellites have camera systems for imaging the Earth. Amateur radio operators can receive data transmitted from the satellites. Each country's receiving station can receive data from all three satellites with a store and forward (S&F) system.{{cite web|url=https://www.philstar.com/business/science-and-environment/2018/03/01/1792231/pinoy-built-cubesat-ready-launch-june|title=Pinoy-built cubesat ready for launch in June|last1=Ronda|first1=Rainier Allan|publisher=philstar Global|date=March 1, 2018|access-date=December 31, 2018}}
The constellation was launched in SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, lofted into space with their Falcon 9 rocket. It was the 15th launch of the Cargo Resupply Mission (CRS) contract to the International Space Station (ISS).{{cite web|url=http://www.spacetechasia.com/cubesats-from-malaysia-bhutan-the-philippines-on-spacexs-dragon-launch/|title=Cubesats from Malaysia, Bhutan and the Philippines on SpaceX's Dragon launch|last1=Goh|first1=Deyana|publisher=SpaceTech Asia|date=June 29, 2018|access-date=December 30, 2018}} Dragon was captured by Canadarm2 and docked with the space station on 2 July 2018.{{cite web|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/07/02/dragon-capsule-reaches-space-station-with-three-tons-of-cargo/|title=Dragon capsule reaches space station with three tons of cargo|last1=Clark|first1=Stephen|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=July 2, 2018|access-date=December 31, 2018}} The satellites were released from the Kibō module of the International Space Station in August 2018.{{cite web|url=http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/kiboexp/jssod/1808_en_cubesats9.html|title=Three CubeSats successfully deployed from "Kibō" as part of Birds project!|publisher=JAXA |date=August 17, 2018|access-date=February 17, 2020}}