The deployment of two low-earth-orbit nano satellites launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket on March 4 marked Mongolia’s entry into the global space industry.

The Cubesat satellites, named Ondosat-Owl-1 and Ondosat-Owl-2—carrying amateur radio payloads and built by Mongolian satellite provider Ondo Space—are the East Asian country’s first satellites. Mongolia, meanwhile, is in discussions with SpaceX to potentially launch the country’s first high-orbit national satellite, under construction at France’s Thales Alenia Space.

Commenting on the success with the “nano sats”, achieved as the satellites went up aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-10 rideshare mission after a launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, Mongolia’s Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene said: “Mongolia’s historic achievement in sending a man to space in 1981 laid the foundation for today’s momentous occasion, showcasing the swift advancement of our domestic space endeavours.

“This milestone marks just the beginning of our journey towards cultivating a vibrant domestic space industry. With a meticulously crafted policy framework, Mongolia aspires to emerge as a leading global centre for space technology innovation and research.”

The satellites completed space environmental testing at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan.

The government of Mongolia was reported by Capacity as planning to establish a sandbox for space testing and R&D that will support the continued growth of the domestic space sector.

“Mongolia presents immense potential for businesses in this dynamic and rapidly expanding sector. Introducing a regulatory sandbox within a comprehensive legislative framework aimed at facilitating the business landscape for cutting-edge technologies will ensure that the government actively fosters ongoing growth and innovation across key domains such as the space economy, artificial intelligence, IoT, and other emerging technologies,” said Uchral Nyam-Osor, Mongolia’s Minister of Digital Development and Communications.

Uchral added: “Leveraging its amicable relations with key stakeholders in the space economy, Mongolia also aims to cultivate its talent pool to strengthen its position in the global landscape.”