Monday, November 11, 2024

Rwanda to launch satellite into orbit before end of 2019

Must read

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...
Isaac Kaledzihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Kaledzi
Isaac Kaledzi is an experienced and award winning journalist from Ghana. He has worked for several media brands both in Ghana and on the International scene. Isaac Kaledzi is currently serving as an African Correspondent for DW.

Three Rwandan engineers with the support of a team of Japanese at Tokyo University have built a satellite that will be launched into orbit next month.

Known as RWASAT-1 the satellite is ready to be launched into orbit after it’s September 24 launch into the International Space Station.

RWASAT-1 is a mini satellite, commonly as CubeSats. Such tiny satellites are deployed into low earth orbit so they can send information to ground stations.

The announcement of the launch into orbit was made on Tuesday in at a press conference.

It was a joint press conference between the Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Authority (RURA), the Ministry of ICT & Innovation, and the Japanese Embassy.

Patrick Nyirishema, RURA Director-General told journalists that there is a higher probability that the launch will take place on “November 18”.

Nyirishem added that “Rwanda is new on this journey of lean space technology, but we chose to build capacities on this initial journey.”

“In the past, satellite technology was in bulk satellites that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

We are now going into a time where it’s possible to build low-cost satellites that can achieve many applications,” he added.

Rwanda’s Minister for ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire also said “Since we signed the agreement with the University of Tokyo, it has opened doors to Rwandan engineers to use their laboratories for assembly, integration, and testing of RWASAT-1”.

Current satellite exploration activities by Rwanda according to officials is part of the bigger National Space Programme of the country.

The country wants to leverage the satellite programme to promote precision agriculture.

Kenya and Ghana have also in the past made efforts to launch their own satellites into space and subsequently into orbit.

There are growing efforts by many African countries to advance their space programmes.

 

 

 

Source: Africafeeds.com

- Advertisement -

More articles

- Advertisement -

Latest article

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...

Ghana’s new law that jails citizens not wearing facemask 10 years

Ghanaians who fail to wear the face masks in compliance with a presidential directive risk going to jail for ten years. They also face a...