MANAMA - Bahrain's first homegrown satellite, "Al Munther," was launched into space on Saturday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States, Bahrain's National Space Science Agency (NSSA) confirmed.

The satellite, developed by NSSA, was launched as part of the Transporter-13 mission -- a SpaceX dedicated rideshare mission in which multiple small satellites from various organizations are launched together aboard a single rocket, according to NSSA.

"Al Munther" was successfully launched at 9:39 am Bahrain time (0639 GMT) on Saturday and deployed into its designated orbit at an altitude of 550 km above sea level. The satellite will now undergo a series of orbital tests to ensure its operational readiness before transitioning to full-scale operations.

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Equipped with an artificial intelligence system capable of real-time image analysis, the satellite's mission is to capture images of Bahrain and its territorial waters.

Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Aseeri, chief executive officer of NSSA, noted that the successful launch of "Al Munther" represents "an unprecedented milestone" for Bahrain in the field of space science.

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He added that the project had offered a unique opportunity for a team of young Bahraini engineers to gain hands-on experience in developing advanced space systems.

In March 2023, Bahrain announced its first homegrown satellite would be named "Al Munther," following the successful launch of the kingdom's first satellite Light 1 in December 2021.