Within the framework of international BIRDS project, realized under the auspices of UNESCO and Government of Japan, the Mongolian miniature satellite ‘Mazaalai’ was thus launched to space alongside the satellites of Japan, Nigeria, Ghana and Bangladesh, other participating countries of the project.

Named after Mazaalai, a Gobi bear found in only Mongolia, the satellite was designed, developed and experimented by three Mongolian students, D.Erdenebaatar, D.Amartuvshin and T.Turtogtokh studying at the Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan.

The miniature satellite is capable of taking 100m resolution images in the altitude of around 400km, transmitting data through 437MHz frequency modulation, identifying satellite locations, determining air density in the altitude of 400km, detecting space radiation and using ground stations as an international network.

National University of Mongolia celebrated the historic moment of launching Mongolia’s first ever satellite at 5 o’clock in the morning in front of its headquarters.

The year 1981 has a special significance in the history of modern Mongolia as aerospace engineer J.Gurragchaa became the first and only Mongolian to conduct a space mission along with Russian cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov. And 2017 thus becomes an another important year for Mongolia’s presence in space.