Kyushu Institute of Technology University (Kyutech) will join the rest of the world in the World Space Week Celebration 2020, through a webinar that will be held on 8 October 2020 at 8 pm Japanese time (9 October at 4 am WAT). World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology’s contribution to the betterment of the human condition. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week be held annually from October 4-10. The theme for World Space Week 2020 is “Satellites improve life.” The aim of the webinar is for experts to share how the University has been developing satellites to address the needs of the BIRDS program partners, satellite development process, African Union GMEs programs for sustainable development through the use of satellites.
Kyutech has launched more small satellites (18) to date than any other University in the world. The University helped emerging countries in terms of capacity building in space engineering education.
Countries that have partnered with Kyutech have their students undertaking the designing, developing and operation of a 1U CubeSat 10cm cubic and total mass of approximately 1kg. World Space Week comes at a time when the BIRDS IV satellite has been finished and developed. A Handover Ceremony and Media Press Conference was held on 24 September 2020. This will see the three satellites being handed over to JAXA in preparation for them to be launched through the International Space Station at a date to be advised.
Past and Ongoing BIRDS projects
| Project | Number of Satellites | Satellite ownership | Date of satellite deployment |
| BIRDS I | 5 | Japan, Ghana, Mongolia., Nigeria, Bangladesh | July 2017 |
| BIRDS II | 3 | Bhutan, Philippines, Malaysia | August 2018 |
| BIRDS III | 3 | Japan, Sri Lanka, Nepal | June 17 2019 |
| BIRDS IV* | 3 | Paraguay, Philippines, Japan | Early summer 2021 |
| BIRDS V | 3 | Uganda, Zimbabwe ,Japan | TBA |
Link to stream the handover ceremony.
Webinar Registration Link.
For more information about Kyutech BIRDS program visit the website.
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