Page 58 - SAMENA Trends - December 2023

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Egypt’s Satellite Launch to Advance Climate Research

Egypt has launched its second earth
observation satellite, the MisrSat-2, also
known as EgyptSat-2, to study the impact of
climate change on the environment, which,
in turn, serves Egypt’s efforts to achieve
the 2030 United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Launched
on 4 December from the Taiyuan Satellite
Launch Centre in China, EgyptSat-2 was
assembled and tested at the Egyptian
Space Agency’s (EgSA’s) Satellite
Assembly, Integration, and Testing Centre
(AITC) – the largest of its kind in Africa
and the Middle East, that was established
within the framework of a partnership and satellite-based services, according domestically produced space product”.
between Egypt and China, according to a September 2023 report, Why is China EgyptSat-2 is one of the initiatives of the
to EgSA’s statement. Under the Egypt- Giving Satellites to Egypt?. According to Egyptian space program. Its work focuses
China technical cooperation agreement, the report, the Egyptian satellite supports on building human resource capabilities
a team of Egyptian engineers from EgSA China’s Belt and Road Initiative and for space sciences fields and establishing
collaborated with a team of Chinese enhances its strategic interests in Africa a scientific research base for utilizing the
experts in every stage of the satellite’s through its involvement in the global space technologies and applications to
design and manufacture. EgyptSat-2 landscape of satellite communication and serve the national development plans. It
aligns with China’s broader ambition of connectivity. But, according to the EgSA also aims to launch another satellite, the
expanding its influence in the field of space statement, the Egyptian team “successfully National Experimental Satellite (NExSat-1),
exploration and satellite technology around developed one of the components of the a remote-sensing microsatellite designed
the world, along with its presence in space satellite completely, marking Egypt’s first for urban planning, by the end of 2023.

CRTC to Support High Speed Satellite Internet for All Nunavut Communities

The Canadian Radio-television and (CRTC) announced on 20 December that speed satellite internet services for all
Telecommunications Commission its Broadband Fund will support high communities in the Far North territory
of Nunavut for the first time. Funding is
being provided to SSi Micro to upgrade its
satellite internet service across Nunavut,
whilst further funding was earmarked for
Keewaytinook Okimakanak to maintain
satellite internet connectivity in two
First Nations communities in Northern
Ontario, and also additional funding
for Northwestel to deliver fiber-based
internet services to Atlin, an underserved
Indigenous community in Northern British
Columbia. Together, these projects will
help 28 Indigenous communities access
communications services, and are part of
the CRTC’s ongoing commitment to better
support reconciliation with Indigenous
Peoples.

58 DECEMBER 2023