India's ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) will be launching a Bhutanese satellite in December 2021. The satellite is being built by 4 Bhutanese engineers who are being trained by ISRO, with the first phase already over.

Ambassador of India to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj said, "Our 2 countries are collaborating to build a satellite...this satellite is going to be launched in 2021 from ISRO's facilities". She highlighted, that it is "only natural that these two best friends are cooperating in this final frontier".

An event "Space odyssey: showcasing India's achievements in space technology" was organised by the Indian embassy in Bhutan as part of India's 75th year of Independence--Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The four Bhutanese engineers were also present at the occasion. The engineers completed two months of training at ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre in February and in the second phase of training will put the finishing touches on the satellite they are building.

R Umamaheswaran, Scientific Secretary, ISRO while acknowledging the satellite built by the Bhutanese engineers said that it "will fly hopefully by end of this year in PSLV mission, that is what we are planning".

India and Bhutan have engagement in space cooperation with a ground Earth station for South Asia Satellite being inaugurated in Thimphu during PM Modi's August 2019 Bhutan visit.

Ground Earth station was built with the help of ISRO. In 2017 India launched the South Asia satellite project with all countries barring Pakistan part of it. Under the project, New Delhi has offered to increase bandwidth on an additional transponder on the satellite for Bhutan as a gift as per the country's requirement.

Image source: Live Mint