View source for 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|thumb|[[UiTMSAT-1]] nanosatellite in space]]
[[File:Birds-2 deployed from Kibo (Iss056e130478).jpg|thumb|Birds-2 deployed from the [[International Space Station|ISS]].]]
'''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 (ISS module)|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]].<ref name="gunter">{{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}}</ref> Three countries participated in the Birds-2 program: [[Bhutan]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Malaysia]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> [[UiTMSAT-1]] was Malaysia's first university-built satellite.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Bhutan's satellite, [[BHUTAN-1]], was the country's first satellite.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The Philippines built their first cubesat, [[Maya-1]].<ref name="goh"/>
All three satellites were built identically, and were designed to last 6–9 months.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The satellites have [[Virtual camera system|camera systems]] for imaging the Earth. [[Amateur radio]] operators can receive data transmitted from the satellites. Each country's [[Ground station|receiving station]] can receive data from all three satellites with a [[store and forward]] (S&F) system.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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).<ref name="goh">{{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}}</ref> Dragon was captured by [[Mobile Servicing System|Canadarm2]] and docked with the space station on 2 July 2018.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The satellites were released from the [[Kibō (ISS module)|Kibō module]] of the International Space Station in August 2018.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Space program of Japan]]
[[Category:JAXA]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2018]]
[[Category:CubeSats]]
[[Category:Satellites deployed from the International Space Station]]