There are certain moments that mark a nation’s history. On December 1, 2023, we witnessed such a moment when Hayasat-1, the first satellite developed by Armenian specialists in Armenia, was launched into space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Base in Santa Barbara.

The Hayasat-1 satellite was created by the Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory, in partnership with SYUN and the Center for Scientific Innovation and Education. It is the second Armenian satellite to be launched into space, but it is the first one developed and created by Armenian specialists in Armenia.

The satellite is unique in that it constantly rotates around the axis of the Earth and is oriented in the same way with respect to the Sun. This means that every time the satellite crosses the Earth’s equator, it does so at approximately the same time, allowing for scheduled communication sessions. Hayasat-1 is equipped with sensors that measure the intensity of light falling on its different sides. It also has a secondary payload, which provides data on the satellite’s rotations, position, and motion. This includes a GPS receiver with its antennas and an experimental inertial measurement unit (IMU) designed and built in Armenia.

The testing of Hayasat-1 was sponsored by SYUN and completed in the Netherlands.