On Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and state-run New Space India Limited (NSIL) signed an agreement to enable the launch of Nepal’s Munal satellite, which was developed by students and the space startup Antarikchya Pratishan Nepal (APN). The satellite, operated by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), seeks to develop a database of vegetation density on the Earth’s surface.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Anurag Srivastava, the MEA’s Joint Secretary (North), and NSIL Director Arunachalam A. The event was attended by NAST Secretary Rabindra Prasad Dhakal, Surendra Thapa, Chargé d’affaires of the Nepal embassy, and APN founder Abhas Maskey.
The Munal satellite, which has AI-powered photography operations, is scheduled to launch soon onboard NSIL’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Munal’s launch service agreement was inked during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Nepal in January.
Dhakal emphasised the satellite’s potential to promote Nepalese space research, as well as continuous collaboration with Indian space organisations. Thapa stated that India and Nepal’s alliance has now expanded “to outer space,” demonstrating the rising depth of their connection.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has played an important role in advancing this historic initiative.
