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NigeriaSat-2 For Launch In October
Nigeria’s second earth observation satellite, a higher resolution facility compared to the first one, will be launched on October 29, 2010, the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) has said.
The Director-General, NASRDA, Dr. Saidu Mohammed, made the announcement at a one-day workshop on the “Applications of High Resolution Satellite Imageries and Synthetic Aperture Radar Imageries,” held in Abuja on Monday.The satellite, dubbed NigeriaSat-2, will be the nation’s third spacecraft to be put in orbit in the past eight years.
The new 300kg satellite, initially slated for launch in 2009, will provide the country with geographically-referenced high-resolution satellite imaging for applications in mapping, water resources management, agricultural land use, population estimation, health hazard monitoring and disaster mitigation and management.
The satellite will carry a 2.5-metre panchromatic and 5m multi-spectral resolution payloads as well as a 32m resolution payload from NigeriaSat-1. It will also provide a viable alternative to aerial photography for emergency response planning.
Mohammed said, “With pride and delight, I wish to inform this gathering that by God’s grace, NASRDA will launch a new high resolution earth observation satellite just about four months from now, on October 29, to be precise.”All our management, staff, project manager, engineers and scientists, along with our partners and consultants, are working day-in-day-out to ensure a successful orbital delivery.”
He added, “We are also trusting the Lord Almighty and counting on the support of the entire nation, our engineering, scientific and research communities for your support and prayers.”With a successful launch of NigeriaSat-2, thereby increasing our nation’s capability for acquisition and utilisation of high resolution imageries, Nigeria would have moved up another notch in the provision of the major technological, economic and social development infrastructure.”
We are not only launching NigeriaSat-2, we are simultaneously launching NigeriaSat-X, an experimental satellite, designed and built by our engineers under the supervision of our technical partner.”
British satellite specialists, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, won the contract for the construction of the nation’s second earth observation satellite, following due diligence conducted by the procurement adviser, Telesat of Canada.