Riyadh, April 6 (SANA) — Saudi Arabia announced the successful launch of the “Shams” satellite as part of the Artemis II mission, in a step aimed at advancing scientific innovation and strengthening international partnerships in space exploration, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Saturday.
SPA said the Artemis II mission represents the second phase of NASA’s Artemis program, which involves broad international participation and seeks to return humans to the vicinity of the Moon for the first time in more than five decades, paving the way for future missions to Mars.
The mission carries a crew of four astronauts on the first crewed flight to orbit the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched using the Space Launch System (SLS), described as the most powerful rocket used in a space mission to date.
The “Shams” satellite is set to operate in a high elliptical orbit (HEO), ranging between approximately 500 km and 70,000 km from Earth. This orbit enables wide-area monitoring of solar and radiation activity, supporting research in space weather and related scientific applications.
The satellite is designed to study space weather and assess the impact of solar and radiation activity on Earth across four main areas: space radiation, solar X-rays, Earth’s magnetic field, and high-energy solar particles.
According to SPA, the mission is expected to contribute to enhancing the reliability and sustainability of key space-related sectors, including communications, aviation and navigation, by providing data that supports operational readiness and strengthens the resilience of critical technical infrastructure.
IZ/RK
