Maya-1

Following the launch of the Diwata-1 microsatellite in 2016, the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) announced on 29 June 2017 that two satellites, one nanosatellite and one microsatellite, will be launched in 2018. The government agency said that Filipino graduate students, Joven Javier and Adrian Salces attending Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT), Japan were working on developing a satellite with their mentors which at that time was still to be named.{{cite news|last1=Usman|first1=Edd|title=After micro-satellite, DOST set to launch "cube satellites" in 2018|url=http://newsbytes.ph/2017/06/30/after-micro-satellite-dost-set-to-launch-cube-satellites-in-2018/|publisher=Newsbytes|date=30 June 2017|access-date=4 July 2018}}

The satellite, later dubbed as Maya-1, was developed mainly through the second Joint Global Multination Birds Satellite (Birds-2) initiated by the Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT) in Japan.{{cite news|title=Maya-1: Cube satellite latest Pinoy venture into space|url=http://technology.inquirer.net/77081/maya-1-cube-satellite-latest-pinoy-venture-space|publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=1 July 2018|access-date=4 July 2018}} The project was managed by a team composed of 11 graduate students from Bhutan, Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines.{{cite news |last1=Sabillo|first1=Kristine|title=SpaceX brings Philippines' Maya-1 cube satellite to ISS|url=http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/29/18/spacex-brings-philippines-maya-1-cube-satellite-to-iss|access-date=4 July 2018|publisher=ABS-CBN News|date=29 June 2018}} The two other satellites developed under Birds-2; BHUTAN-1 of Bhutan and UiTMSAT-1 of Malaysia. The first iteration of the project (Birds-1) was a joint effort by Bangladesh, Ghana, Japan, Mongolia, and Nigeria.{{cite news|last1=Francisco|first1=Mikael Angelo|title=Space To Excel: Why The First Pinoy-Made Cube Satellite Matters|url=https://www.flipscience.ph/space/space-to-excel-why-the-first-pinoy-made-cube-satellite-matters/|publisher=FlipScience|date=1 July 2018|access-date=4 July 2018}}

The project was also placed under the Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite program. The PHL-Microsat team suggested the satellite to be named after the Maya, a local term for a certain varieties of bird in the Philippines. The Maya-1 satellite and its successors are specifically named after the Chestnut munia (Lonchura atricapilla), which is among the bird species locally referred to as the maya, due to its similar size to the satellite with the Chestnut munia known to grow around {{convert|12|cm|ft|sp=us}} long.{{cite news |last1=Madarang |first1=Catalina Ricci |title='Hindi ito pinagtatawanan': Space enthusiasts cheer on Philippines' 2nd cube satellite Maya-2 despite naysayers |url=https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2021/02/23/186093/hindi-ito-pinagtatawanan-space-enthusiasts-cheer-on-philippines-2nd-cube-satellite-maya-2-despite-naysayers/ |access-date=23 February 2021 |work=Interaksyon |date=23 February 2021 |language=en, tl}}{{cite web |title=Tulad nang sinabi ng SciKomiks—ang uri ng Maya na pinagbasehan ng pangalan ng mga buntabay na Maya-1 at Maya-2... |url=https://www.facebook.com/STAMINA4Space/posts/2801005966825171 |website=Facebook |publisher=STAMINA4Space |access-date=23 February 2021 |language=en}}

The Birds-2 project commenced in November 2016.{{cite news|last1=Palden|first1=Tshering|title=BHUTAN-1 leaves for space|url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/bhutan-1-leaves-for-space/ |website=kuenselonline.com|date=30 June 2018|access-date=4 July 2018}} Maya-1 was designed by PHL-Microsat scholars and KIT graduate students Joven Javier and Adrian Salces. Javier was pursuing a master's degree while Salces was pursuing a doctorate degree.{{cite news|last1=Panela|first1=Shaira |title=Philippines launches first CubeSat into space|url=https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/earth-space/206090-philippine-launches-cube-satellite-space-june-29-2018|publisher=Rappler|date=29 June 2018 |access-date=4 July 2018}}

Javier, who was also the overall project manager of Birds-2, served as the Electronics PCB Designer of Maya-1 while Salces was responsible for developing the satellite's Ground Station Segment and Communication Subsystem.{{cite news|last1=Francisco|first1=Mikael Angelo|title=Maya-1 cubesat launch signals next phase of Pinoy space exploration|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/658913/maya-1-cubesat-launch-signals-next-phase-of-pinoy-space-exploration/story/|website=gmanetwork.com|date=2 July 2018 |access-date=4 July 2018}}

The satellite was classified as a 1U CubeSat. It measured 10 × 10 × 11.35 cm and weighed {{convert|1.11|kg}}.{{cite web|title=Joint Global Multi-Nations Birds Satellite project|url=http://www.kyutech.ac.jp/archives/025/201802/01_BIRDS_Press%20Conference_JPN_web.pdf|publisher=Kyushu Institute of Technology|language=Japanese|date=26 February 2018|access-date=4 July 2018}} Maya-1 took fifteen months to build.

Maya-1 was built using components which are commercially available that were determined safe to use in space. The satellite, along with BHUTAN-1 and UiTMSAT-1, was equipped with Automatic Packet Reporting System digipeater. This equipment was used to demonstrate communication relay capabilities of the three satellites. Maya-1 was also equipped with a Global Positioning System chip and a magnetometer, the latter being used in measuring magnetic fields in space.

File:Birds-2 on ISS (Iss056e100586).jpg

File:Birds-2 deployed from Kibo (Iss056e130478).jpg

Maya-1 was launched to space on 29 June 2018, via the Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket at Cape Canaveral in Florida, United States as part of the SpaceX CRS-15 Commercial Resupply Service mission. BHUTAN-1 and UiTMSAT-1 which were also developed under the Birds-2 project were also among the payload of the rocket. Maya-1, along with the two other satellites were deployed{{cite web|title=ICYMI: Maya-1, Philippines' first CubeSat satellite, is already deployed in its orbit in space! |url=https://twitter.com/dostpcieerd/status/1027872850080931840|website=twitter.com|publisher=DOST-PCIEERD|access-date=10 August 2018|date=10 August 2018}} from the International Space Station (ISS) on 10 August 2018 through the Japanese Kibō module on the ISS. They orbited approximately at the same altitude as the ISS at about {{convert|400|km}}. A few days after their deployment, amateur ground stations from ten participating nations of the Birds project confirmed communication with the three satellites.{{cite news|url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/phls-maya-1-cubesat-to-be-deployed-from-international-space-station-on-august-10/|title=PHL's Maya-1 CubeSat to be deployed from International Space Station on August 10|work=BusinessMirror|date=9 August 2018|access-date=10 August 2018}}

While built solely by Filipinos, the satellite was jointly controlled and operated by the Philippines, Bhutan, and Malaysia. The combined cost to build and launch Maya-1 was around US$150,000 ({{Philippine peso|8 million}}). The mission of Maya-1 was "experimental testing of commercial apparatus" and due to its size, it was to provide "a cost-effective educational platform" to help Filipinos build future satellites. The satellite could also be used to relay messages in the event typhoons render cellular services unavailable.

The satellite was initially projected to be operational from about six to 9 months. However Maya-1 remained in orbit for two years and four months with its operations ending on November 23, 2020, when it re-entered Earth's atmosphere.{{cite news |last1=Nazario |first1=Dhel |title=Maya-1, PH's first cube satellite, completes mission |url=https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/29/maya-1-phs-first-cube-satellite-completes-mission/ |access-date=29 November 2020 |work=Manila Bulletin |date=29 November 2020}}

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Category:Satellites of the Philippines

Category:2018 in the Philippines

Category:Spacecraft launched in 2018

Category:CubeSats

Category:Satellites deployed from the International Space Station

Category:Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite program