News, Picks

Sri Lanka?s first satellite ?Raavana 1? launched

18 Apr, 2019

Sri Lanka?s first satellite ?Raavana 1? was launched into space today from NASA?s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia?s East Shore.

The launch marks Sri Lanka?s entry into the global space age.

The BIRDS-3 satellites from Japan, Nepal and Sri Lanka were taken to the International space station (ISS) and boarded onto the Antares rocket and launched today.

The satellite was designed and built at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan by Sri Lankan research engineers Tharindu Dayaratne and Dulani Chamika from the Arthur C.Clarke Institute, Moratuwa.

Its camera mission is to take pictures of Sri Lanka and its neighbouring countries. Its Lora Demonstration Mission is to validate the module to be used to data download next satellites. The Attitude Determination and Control Mission of ?Ravaana 1? involves the team trying to reduce the angular velocity of the satellite using magnetic torquers.

?Raavana 1? weights around 1.05 kg and the lifespan of the satellite is around one and a half years. (Colombo Gazette)

Recommended For You

Categories

 

 

 

 

Legal

Picture of the author

Colombo Gazette is a leading news and entertainment website, covering stories related to Sri Lanka. The content consists of text based news, photos and videos and is linked to social media websites including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to provide a wider coverage for its stories.

Copyright © 2026 Colombo Gazette. All rights reserved.

social icon
social icon
social icon
social icon
social icon