VIENNA, 2nd July, 2025 (WAM) -- The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Exolaunch GmbH (Exolaunch) announced that institutions from Bolivia, Guatemala, Jordan, and Nepal have been selected to deploy their CubeSats using Exolaunch’s EXOpod Nova deployment system.
The EXOpod opportunity, part of UNOOSA’s flagship “Access to Space for All” initiative, includes fully funded launch slots for each mission. All four projects aim to build local expertise, advance national development priorities and contribute to the global space community.
Students and engineers at Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo plan to build Bolivia’s first nanosatellite, Waskiri-Sat, which will use advanced onboard AI and multispectral cameras to collect data to support research, government, and industry. A partnership with Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) in Japan will support testing.
The project aims to build Bolivia’s capacity in space research and development, inspire future generations, and promote gender equality.
Undergraduate students, faculty and researchers at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala will develop QUETZAL-2, the country’s second satellite, to test new technologies for cloud detection and safe deorbiting. The mission supports multiple Sustainable Development Goals and aims to inspire Guatemalan youth to explore science and engineering by providing hands-on learning in space technology.
A team at Al Hussein Technical University in Jordan will launch a CubeSat to help protect endangered native wildlife by enabling real-time tracking, particularly in remote reserves where no terrestrial networks exist. Combining conservation with education, the project will train students to design and operate the satellite and build ground stations for satellite telemetry, laying the foundation for Jordan’s emerging space sector.
Antarikchya Pratisthan Nepal will launch Slippers2Sat-2, a satellite designed for disaster observation and management, to monitor floods and detect earthquake precursors while introducing space science to students from marginalised communities. Building on the success of Nepal’s first student satellite, the project will share its designs and data openly to foster equal opportunities in space exploration.
This announcement follows a strong global response to the call for applications, with 17 proposals submitted by institutions from 15 countries, underscoring the growing international demand for inclusive access to space and the need for practical launch opportunities for emerging space nations.
The initiative builds on the collaboration announced on 31st January 2024, through which UNOOSA and Exolaunch committed to supporting equitable access to outer space and strengthening national space capacity through hands-on deployment opportunities.