Page 79 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Nigeria to Launch Another Satellite in June

The National Space Research and Development Agency or stacked to suit the needs of a specific mission. He said that the
(NASRDA) has stated that it is putting modalities in place to agency was working in line with the National Space Policy and
launch a Cubesat ‘Edusat-2’ within the first half of the year. Program (NSPP) of 2001 and the Federal Government approved
The Acting Director-General of NASRDA, Dr Francis Chizea, said 25 years Roadmap for the agency in 2007. He said that the
this at the ongoing Science and Technology Expo on Tuesday, CubeSat was in line with the agency’s mandate which included
March 16, in Abuja, where the agency showcased its research building indigenous satellites, launching a Nigerian astronaut into
works and achievements. The science expo is with the theme space, build and launch a Nigerian made satellite in space. Chizea
“Science, Technology and Innovation for Economic Recovery and said “EduSat- 2 was developed by NASRDA engineers, an earth
Sustainability Amidst the COVID-19 Challenges” and is a platform observation satellite with minimal resolution and we are expecting
to showcase innovation within agencies of government, private to launch it in June or July from the International Space Station.
research institutions, the academia, among other participants. “We are already talking with the committee on the Peaceful Use
Chizea explained that EduSat-2 was a build-up on EduSat-1 of the Outer Space to help us secure launch facilities on one of
which the agency built in collaboration with the Federal University the member countries, which have the facilities to provide for us.
of Technology, Akure and the Japanese Birds-1 program launched “The satellite is one of its kinds to be made by Nigeria and the only
in 2017. A CubeSat is a type of very small satellite which is based thing we can do now is to develop on that. “The major thing the
on a standardized unit of mass and volume. It can be used alone satellite will address is a technology demonstration, to show that
we can do it by ourselves, we want to show that it can work,” he
said. Chizea called on the private sector to come in and support
the space program of the country, meet NASRDA’s mission,
generate significant economic returns and create jobs.” Potential
areas of Public-Private Partnership include space communication
and telecommunications, satellite servicing and space systems,
interplanetary small satellites, remote sensing, strategic space
applications, software development, among others.” He, however,
said that the level of technology development of a country
reflected its political and economic strength, while the level of
space technology reflected the comprehensive power of a nation.
According to Chizea, Nigeria is a political epicenter that is crucial
for the economic development of Africa cannot afford to miss out
on developing its space industry.

Vodafone Launches Broadband Satellite Community Wi-Fi in Fiji

In a bid to improve internet access in remote
parts of Fiji, Vodafone Fiji has launched the
country’s inaugural Satellite Community Wi-
Fi service in Nakavika village, in the Central
Division’s Namosi province. Vodafone is
pioneering innovative solutions to deliver
broadband services in the Pacific island country
and its Satellite Community Wi-Fi platform has
connected 61 households in the village, which
lies about 57km west of the capital, Suva. The Fiji
Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) cites Vodafone
Chief Marketing Officer Rajnesh Prasad as
saying that Satellite Community Wi-Fi is ‘a drive
for innovation and equal connectivity, breaking
barriers of locality’. Vodafone Fiji added that it
has received requests from other communities
for its installation going forward.

79 FEB-MAR 2021