Saudi Arabia successfully launches Sat 5A, Sat 5B satellites

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in the Saudi capital Riyadh, announced the successful launch of the Saudi Sat 5A and the Saudi Sat 5B satellites on Friday, December 7, 2018 at 12:12 pm Beijing time on the Long March 2D from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center of the People’s Republic of China.

Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed, President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology extended his congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz on the launch according to SPA.

Saudi Satellites 2 (Supplied)

Prince Turki said that the achievement is conducted by support and guidance of King Salman and the follow-up and care of the Crown Prince, stressing that this achievement comes as a complement to many achievements in the fields of space and aviation in line with vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia.

This achievement comes as a result of the efforts made by KACST over the years in the transfer and development of many advanced technologies, including satellite technologies and the construction of national cadres capable of dealing with these technologies and the establishment of advanced infrastructure, enabling the City to develop and manufacture satellites Saudi Sat 5A and Saudi Sat 5B in its national hands factories.

The two satellites Saudi Sat 5A and Saudi Sat 5B will be used to provide government agencies with high-resolution satellite images similar to those in developed countries for use in various fields of development. The two satellites will be managed and operated from an advanced control station located at the headquarters of (KACST).

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology has already launched 13 Saudi satellites between 2000 and 2017. It also participated in the implementation of scientific experiments in outer space in cooperation with the US space agency (NASA) and Stanford University on board the satellite Saudi Sat 4 in 2014.