Named ‘Mazaalai’ after Mongolia’s endangered Gobi bear, Mongolia’s first satellite was launched into space in 2017. Using the “SpaceX Falcon 9” two-stage rocket, ‘Mazaalai’ was put into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida through a project supported by UNESCO and Japan. ‘Mazaalai’ is a new-generation micro or nano satellite: at a cost of around USD 100,000, the price is also surprisingly low. The project is aimed at establishing specialist resources and learning how to  launch and operate satellites.

Specialists from the nano satellite development laboratory at the National University of Mongolia (NUM) is planning to launch a second satellite in cooperation with Japan’s Hokkaido and Tohoku universities. The second satellite will also be used for scientific research.