In a historic milestone for Saudi Arabia’s space sector, the homegrown “Shams” satellite has joined NASA’s Artemis II mission.
The Saudi Space Agency announced on Saturday the successful launch and initial communication with “Shams” satellite, integrated as a key component of the Artemis II mission’s scientific payload, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
“Shams” satellite will operate in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO), ranging from approximately 500 km to 70,000 km above Earth, enabling a broad coverage for monitoring solar and radiation activity as well as supporting advanced space weather studies.
Its task focuses on studying space weather across four key areas: space radiation, solar X-rays, Earth’s magnetic field, and high-energy particles. The data will play a major role in protecting global technical infrastructure, ensuring the continued reliability of aviation, communications, and navigation systems back on Earth.
من هنا 🇸🇦 … تبدأ القصة
وفي الفضاء… يصنع المجدالقمر الصناعي السعودي «شمس»
بكفاءات وطنية، ضمن مهمة #آرتميس 2
إنجاز يصنع أثر لأجل البشرية#السعودية_نحو_الفضاء#وكالة_الفضاء_السعودية pic.twitter.com/5Bnt1taHRI— وكالة الفضاء السعودية (@saudispace) April 5, 2026
With this remarkable achievement, Saudi Arabia has become the first Arab nation to join the Artemis program. Meanwhile, Shams has become the Kingdom’s first dedicated space weather mission.
Built entirely by Saudi talent under National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) initiatives, this project stands as a testament to the Kingdom’s leap into advanced space tech. It also reflects the accelerated progress made to realize the main objectives of Vision 2030 through local ingenuity.
The Artemis II mission will mark Humans’ first return to the Moon in more than five decades, paving the way for future Mars missions.
