Nigeria successfully launches two satellites

ABUJA, NIGERIA (BNO NEWS) — Nigeria on Wednesday successfully launched two satellites into orbit on a Russian rocket, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) said.

The two satellites – the NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X – were launched on a Russian Dnepr rocket from Yasny, which is located in southern Russia. The spacecrafts were built at SSTL in Guildford, United Kingdom, but under the Nigerian National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA). 26 Nigerian engineers worked at the SSTL, assembling NigeriaSat-X, which weighs around 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

SSTL stated that the satellites would provide Nigeria with the ability to enhance food security through monthly crop monitoring, assist with burgeoning urban planning demands and, through the development of engineering skills, would advance the growth of new technologies in Nigeria.

Director of the National Center for Remote Sensing (NCRS) Gajere Nduke noted that the high resolution of the satellites would not only allow further development for Nigeria, but for the West African Sub-region and all of Africa. He said the NCRS would create a 1:25,000 scale map of Nigeria with the use of the satellites.

In addition, Director-General of the NASRDA, Dr. Seidu Mohammed, said key data will be made available through the satellites, supporting different sectors such as national food security as well as environmental monitoring and evaluation by making data available to the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. NASRDA engineers will control both satellites from their ground station in Abuja.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan congratulated the successful launching of the two satellites, stating that the event was a milestone which could solve different national issues through space technology.

“We will continue to emphasize investment in science and technology as a tool to drive the transformation agenda of this administration,” Jonathan stated, congratulating the “resourceful Nigerians who made this history possible.”

In 2003, Nigeria launched NigeriaSat-1, and while it has surpassed its five-year lifespan, the two new satellites are expected to replace NigeriaSat-1 to ensure data continuity.

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Source: WireUpdate.
Link: http://wireupdate.com/wires/19525/nigeria-successfully-launches-two-satellites/.