Armenian satellite ends mission prematurely
Armenia’s first domestically produced satellite, Hayasat-1, has ended its mission earlier than planned, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.
According to the Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory, the satellite, launched in December 2023 with a planned five-year operational lifespan, was forced to conclude its mission prematurely due to atmospheric resistance.
“In recent years, record solar activity has caused the Earth's atmosphere to heat up significantly, increasing atmospheric drag. As a result, Hayasat-1, along with other satellites, experienced an accelerated orbital decay. On April 26, the satellite crossed the Kármán line — the conventional boundary of space — for the last time, marking the end of its mission,” the laboratory said.
For the record, Hayasat-1 was launched into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 550 km on December 1, 2023, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch was part of a mission that deployed 25 satellites in total.
By Khagan Isayev
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