Nigeria plans to launch Africa’s first nanosatellite into orbit between 23-27 May, reports Today.ng, citing the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Seidu Mohammed.
He said Nigeria’s nanosatellite would be launched alongside Japan, Ghana, Nepal and Bangladesh from the launch base at Miami, Florida, in the US.
According to Mohamed, the latest satellite to be launched is another feat achieved by the Nigerian engineers.
He said the five countries have come together to work in a constellation to build about five nanosatellites.
He said engineers that design and launch Nigerian satellites are at the Centre for Satellite Technology Development at NASRDA.
He commended the team of engineers scientists at NASRDA, saying efforts are ongoing to ensure that by 2018, the first satellite would roll out of the agency’s facility.
According to him, NASRDA remains the number one space agency in Africa, adding it has so far launched five satellites – three earth observation satellites and two communication satellites.
The first satellite, NigeriaSat-I, an international disaster monitoring constellation satellite, built by a UK-based satellite technology company, Surrey Space Technology Limited, was launched in 2003.
NigComSat-I, the second Nigerian satellite was ordered and built in China in 2004; it was Africa’s first communication satellite, launched on 13 May 2007.
NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X, which, respectively, were the third and fourth built by Surrey Space Technology Limited., were launched in 17 August 2011. The fifth, NigComSat-1R was launched by China on 19 December 2011.
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