Nigeria yesterday, successfully, launched one of the most advanced earth observation satellites (Nigeriasat-2) of its kind that is commercially available in the imaging world into the orbit at exactly 8:12.am Nigerian time in Russia.
Nigeria Sat-X, which was built by Nigerian engineers trained at the same time the Sat-2 was being built as a demonstration that Nigeria can build and launch its satellite was launched alongside NigeriaSat-2.
With the launch of the two satellites, NigeriaSa-1, which has since overstayed its life span in orbit would be replaced.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja shortly after showing the live coverage of the launch site, in Russia to the audience, the project manager of the NigeriaSat-2 and X, Mr. Francis Chizea, said that NigeriaSat-2 and X, have five years life span, just like NigeriaSat-1, and “will continue the work which NigeriaSat-1 is doing, but is more advanced in technology.”
Explaining further, Mr. Chizea, noted that the satellite was designed for five years, just like NigeriaSat-1. “It is still in the orbit functioning and providing images as it used to be. They are two different satellites on their own; Nigeria Sat-2 is a higher resolution satellite, carrying 2.5m resolution camera on board.
“It also has 32m camera on board, because we expect that very soon, Nigeria Sat-1 will expire, and stop working. So to ensure that there is data continuity, we also have that 32m camera in Nigeria sat-2. It is a more advanced space craft. Whatever Nigeria sat-2 is doing in the orbit now is to carry out earth resolution that Nigeriasat-1 has been carrying out for the past 8 years, but with 32m camera, it has better grand meter set, which we never had before. Now, we can have our own high earth resolution data from our grand station whenever we want it.”
On the economic implication of the satellite, he said, it is not just launching of the satellite that matters but to improve the socio-economic life of Nigerians, adding that data from Nigeria-sat-2 will be used for various applications “in agriculture, urban mapping, environmental monitoring, etc. nigeriasat-2 is one of the most advanced satellites of its kind that is in the orbit today.”
Explaining why the satellite is the most advanced of its kind, Chizea pointed out that the Nigeriasat-2 unlike any other satellite can image lots of images, “for example, it can image a still image, under a very low skill which was not possible in Nigeriasat-1. Nigeriasat-2 is very agile, you can image and offload at the same time to the grand station, this is the facility that is not available in satellites of its kind. It can carry out images from security, pipeline monitoring to coastal monitoring, depending on what we have on ground.”
On the Nigeria Sat-X, he said, the space agency is in control of it is, as it is in its early stage operations. He said that SSTL Satellite company in Russia, trained the engineers and as well built Sat-2.
Also speaking, the acting director-general of National Space Research and Development Agency, who is also director of policy, planning and research, Mrs. Augusta Iheanacho, said the agency is particularly delighted because, “it is our engineers that built Nigeria-Sat-X, using Surrey’s facilities far away in the UK.”
She, however, appealed to the federal government, that since Nigerian engineers were able to build and launch Nigeria Sat-X, they should be given all the necessary support to launch same achievement in Nigeria.
“If only we had the critical infrastructure we need to be able to build our own satellite in Nigeria. Like I said, the critical infrastructure will required is the assembling, integration and testing and designing centres, we promise Nigeria, that henceforth, we will be able to build our own satellite in Nigeria, without outside assistance,” she added.
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