August 18, 2022 (JST)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

 On August 12, 2022, the CubeSat named TUMnanoSAT, developed by the team of Technical University of Moldova (TUM), was successfully deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station (ISS). This deployment was supported by the KiboCUBE program run by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), where the team of TUM was selected as the winner in the fourth round. The deployment was broadcasted online, through which H.E. Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, H.E. Katayama Yoshihiro, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Moldova among other people witnessed the momentous deployment.
 TUMnanoSAT is the first satellite of Moldova, operated by TUM after its deployment. The experience of development and operation of the satellite is expected to benefit the future space activities in Moldova.

TUMnanoSAT deployed from the ISS ©JAXA/NASA

H.E. Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (second from right), H.E. Katayama Yoshihiro, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Moldova (third from right) witnessing the deployment of TUMnanoSAT ©Technical University of Moldova

Group photo celebrating the successful deployment of TUMnanoSAT ©Technical University of Moldova

JAXA Director General of Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, SASAKI Hiroshi, said:
“It is my pleasure that JAXA successfully deployed the first satellite of Moldova, TUMnanoSAT from Kibo module of the ISS, and we are honored to play a role for Moldova joining the space-faring community. We would like to extend our respect to UNOOSA and the TUM for their efforts. TUMnanoSAT has significant missions ahead including technology demonstration of various sensors, to which I wish a great success.
We wish the experience of development and operation of TUMnanoSAT will lead to the next steps of Moldovan space activity, and we truly hope that we could collaborate with Moldova again in the near future. Congratulations!”

UNOOSA Acting Director Niklas Hedman said: "We are excited to see the first Moldovan satellite deployed to space, an accomplishment that the team from TUM has worked so hard for. This would not have been possible without the endless support of JAXA. We are grateful that, together, we are bridging the capabilities gap in the sector. We hope to see many more rounds in the future so that we can jointly offer this unique opportunity to more countries. As this experience sparks the promise of more space-related activities in Moldova, be assured that UNOOSA continues to work to bridge the space divide and stands ready to support you.”

Bostan Viorel, professor and rector of TUM said: “The launch into space of Moldova’s nanosatellite TUMnanoSAT designed and manufactured at the Technical University of Moldova represents the first national and institutional space experience. This major achievement highlights the valuable human potential of the Technical University of Moldova proving that engineering is a promising field that can be studied at home and thus contributing to the development of Moldova’s space science and technology both for the benefit of the academic community and the whole country.”

KiboCUBE (joint project between JAXA and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to provide deployment opportunities for small satellites)
JAXA supports emerging and developing countries which are yet to establish satellite development technologies with efforts to build small satellite development technologies, and provides opportunities to deploy small satellites built by those countries from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” on the International Space Station (ISS). By promoting this project, JAXA provides emerging and developing countries with opportunities to access outer space for demonstration and other purposes, thereby helping them build and improve space development technologies and usage capabilities.