Saudi Arabia has successfully launched and established initial communication with its “Shams” satellite as part of the Artemis II mission, the Saudi Space Agency announced on Saturday.
With this historic milestone, Saudi Arabia has become the first Arab nation to launch a space mission under the Artemis program, designed to accelerate space science and innovation and build global partnerships to shape the future of space exploration.
Artemis II Mission
Artemis II is the second phase of the Artemis program – an effort led by NASA and other international partners. It aims to send humans back to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, laying the groundwork for future missions to Mars.
The mission carries four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, propelled by the record-breaking power of the Space Launch System (SLS). Joining this landmark journey is the Saudi satellite “Shams,” integrated as a key component of the mission’s scientific payload.
Saudi ‘Shams’ Satellite
The “Shams” satellite will operate in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO), ranging from approximately 500 km to 70,000 km above Earth, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
This enables a wide coverage for monitoring solar and radiation activity in addition to supporting advanced space weather research.
“Shams” task involves studying space weather through four key domains: space radiation, solar X-rays, Earth’s magnetic field, and high-energy particles.
The generated data will be vital for protecting global technical infrastructure, ensuring the continued reliability of aviation, communications, and navigation systems back on Earth.
Historic Milestones
The “Shams” satellite represents a series of historic firsts. It is the first Arab mission to join Artemis program as well as the Kingdom’s first dedicated space weather mission.
It is a product of domestic innovation, developed entirely by homegrown Saudi talent under the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) initiatives, thus underscoring Saudi Arabia’s accelerated progress in advanced space technologies in line with the objectives of Vision 2030.
Saudi Arabia makes history 🇸🇦
as the First Arab nation to launch a space mission under the #Artemis program, successfully deploying and establishing communication with the Saudi satellite “SHAMS” as part of the #ArtemisII mission.@NASAArtemis#Saudi_Towards_Space… pic.twitter.com/dTRZGyD6HN— وكالة الفضاء السعودية (@saudispace) April 4, 2026
On this occasion, Acting CEO of the Saudi Space Agency Dr. Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi took pride in the historic achievement.
“This milestone reflects the Kingdom’s scientific and technological advancement under Vision 2030 and underscores its active role in developing advanced technologies and shaping the future of space for humanity,” he said.
He also extended his gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s leadership for their unwavering support for the space sector and national talents.
Meanwhile, CEO of the NIDLP Eng. Jameel bin Ahmed Al-Ghamdi noted that the domestic development of “Shams” highlights the program’s critical role in localizing advanced technologies and building competitive national industrial capabilities.
He stressed that this milestone reflects a unified national effort to empower local talent and champion homegrown innovation, advancing the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
