SHAMS (satellite)

SHAMS
Technician inspects the Saudi Space Agency’s Shams.
OperatorSaudi Space Agency
COSPAR ID2026-069C
SATCAT no.68540
Spacecraft properties
Bus12U CubeSat
ManufacturerSaudi Space Agency
Start of mission
Launch dateApril 1, 2026, 22:35:00 UTC (6:35 pm EDT)[1][2]
RocketSpace Launch System
Launch siteLC-39B
ContractorNASA
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeHigh Earth orbit
Perigee altitude493 km (306 mi)
Apogee altitude70,235 km (43,642 mi)

SHAMS's mission patch

SHAMS (Arabic: شمس, meaning: Sun) (or SHMS[3], also referred to as Space Weather CubeSat-1 (SWC-1)[4]) is a 12U CubeSat developed by Saudi Arabia's Space Agency as a rideshare payload on the Artemis II mission.[5] The probe's primary mission is to study the effects of space weather in the cislunar environment outside of Earth's magnetic field.

Background

In July 2024, Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a framework agreement to promote space cooperation between the two countries.[6] In part due to this agreement, a Saudi rideshare mission was selected for Artemis II during Donald Trump's state visit to Saudi Arabia on May 14, 2025.[6] SHAMS is also meant to demonstrate Saudi abilities to manufacturer and operate satellites, as part of Vision 2030.[6][7] The Satellite was manufactured by the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, a Saudi program specifically designed to increase its aerospace industry capacity.[7]

Mission

SHAMS will collect data on the impact of solar activity on the Earth's magnetosphere to help enhance techniques to keep humans safe in space and improve communication abilities.[6][7][8] The CubeSat is designed to measure radiation, solar X-rays, charged particles, and magnetic fields in high Earth orbit.[9][10][11]

On Saturday, April 3, the SSA would announce that the probes name was Shams despite all NASA documentation naming it the SWC-1.[8][5] In the same press release the SSA gave more information on the probe's mission, outlining it's elliptical high-earth-orbit as being between 500 km to 70,000 km and that the space weather studies will help develop the reliability of communications, aviation, and navigation technologies.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Artemis II Mission Availability PDF" (PDF). nasa.gov. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  2. ^ Clark, Stephen (February 21, 2026). "NASA says it needs to haul the Artemis II rocket back to the hangar for repairs". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  3. ^ "The "SHMS" satellite mission to study space weather". ssa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  4. ^ "REFERENCE GUIDE for ARTEMIS II SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM" (PDF). NASA.
  5. ^ a b c "Saudi Arabia Achieves Historic Milestone with Launch of 'Shams' Satellite Aboard Artemis II Mission". Saudi Press Agency. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d "Saudi Space Agency Signs Agreement with NASA to Launch Saudi Satellite on Artemis II Mission". Saudi Press Agency. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  7. ^ a b c "Saudi Space Agency and NASA Sign Artemis II Agreement to Launch Scientific Satellite, Advancing Global Cooperation in Space for the Benefit of Humanity". Saudi Space Agency. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  8. ^ a b "NASA's SLS Rocket: Secondary Payloads". NASA. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  9. ^ "Artemis II Crew Both Subjects and Scientists in NASA Deep Space Research". NASA. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  10. ^ Kraft, Rachel H. "NASA to Fly Saudi Arabia CubeSat Aboard Artemis II Test Flight". NASA. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  11. ^ Dickinson, David. "Artemis 2 Mission Launches for Trip Around the Moon". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
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