Nepal Marks Another Milestone in Space Technology with Launch of Student-Built Satellite

Nepal is set to launch a domestically-developed satellite built by higher secondary–level students in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday, January 12, the state-run national news agency RSS reported.

According to RSS, the satellite named Munal, developed over two years at Nepal’s first Space Systems Laboratory under the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), will be used primarily for vegetation monitoring, testing indigenous space technology, and processing data using artificial intelligence.

The satellite will be launched aboard ISRO’s SLV-C62 rocket as a rideshare payload—a cost-effective arrangement in which multiple small satellites from different institutions share a single launch vehicle— NAST Secretary Dr Rabindra Prasad Dhakal told RSS.

Dr Dhakal said the launch is scheduled for 10:17 am Indian Standard Time (10:32 am Nepal time) Monday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

Once in orbit, Munal will be operated from a ground station in Khumaltar, Lalitpur, marking Nepal’s growing involvement in space technology despite its dependence on international partners for launch services.

Stakeholders described the project as a milestone in Nepal’s space technology journey, highlighting the role of students and local expertise in satellite development.

Nepal had launched its first satellite, NepaliSat-1, in 2019 from the United States under an international project. According to media reports, the satellite was developed by Nepali engineers, including researchers associated with the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, with support from foreign institutions. – With inputs from RSS