The Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) said it would be launching its first Earth Observation satellite in December 2019. The satellite is aimed to help in monitoring of water, agriculture, climate, environment, and mining.
Initially scheduled for launch in September 2019, it is now rescheduled due to weather constraits and "the need to do a perfect job," ESSTI disclosed.
Solomon Belay Tessema (Ph.D.), ESSTI's Director-General told Africa News the project is going smoothly and the rescheduling has been made due to the need to put "some finishing touches."
“Everything is going according to plan. The assembly is finalized, the ground station is completed, and more equipment is on its way from China. Third-party insurance is also being covered”, said Dr. Solomon said.
“There would, however, be a little delay because of rainfall in Addis Ababa. We are still expecting more equipment (such as antennas), and there is also a need to set up the receiver station. Construction is ongoing, but we are waiting to test it. From the look of things, we may have to shift the launch date from late September to the first week of December, to avoid any margin for error," he added.
“Space needs more international collaboration and good collaborators at national and regional levels. The main purpose of this 70kg Earth Observation satellite is for the monitoring of agriculture, water, climate, environment, and mining. The satellite is also being built for the purpose of training our engineers from scratch, as well as the exchange and transfer of knowledge and technology. Plans are going well so far and there are no major challenges. The financing of the project in itself is being partly covered by the Ethiopian government, particularly in respect of work on the ground station and travel expenses for our engineers being sent to China to gain some expertise. The manufacturing of the satellite and continuous training of our staff is also partly funded by the Chinese government”, the Director-General observed.
Established in 2004 by three aspiring astronomers and forty-seven space enthusiasts, the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Society has been the yolk for the formation of the institute. The society, which now boasts over ten thousand members, and has erected East Africa's only space observatory on the 3,200-metre high hills of Entoto.
The Ethiopian Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) in October 2016, subsequently announcing Ethiopia's ambition to launch an earth observatory satellite into orbit in 3-5 years to improve its weather-monitoring capabilities.
Source: Africa News
