Page 53 - SAMENA Trends - September 2021

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Bangladesh to Send Observation Satellite into Space

The Bangladesh Communication Satellite infrastructure projects in neighboring government owned satellite management
Company Ltd (BSCL) has embarked upon a countries such as dams, power plants, and firm is working with Arianespace of France
project to send a second satellite to space river diversion that may pose threats to to jointly develop and launch the second
after the success of the first one known as Bangladesh in the long term according to satellite in to space before the tenure
Bangabandhu-I in partnership with Thales The Bangladesh Defence Analyst security of the present government expires. The
Alenia Space. Unlike the Bangabandhu-I, experts. Price water house Coopers French company has launched more than
the second satellite is designed for (PwC) recommended the type of satellite 850 satellites since 1979 using several
observation including environmental following exhaustive feasibility studies. versions of its launch vehicles. Currently
monitoring, meteorology, and cartography. It is to be noted the cost for the second it offers the Ariane 5 heavy launcher, the
It can be used to clearly monitor the satellite will be lower than that of the first Soyuz medium launcher, and the Vega
vast maritime territories of Bangladesh one because Bangladesh already has the light launcher. Bangladesh became the
and surrounding countries. While such ground station and other infrastructure in 57th country in the world to maintain a
satellites have aerial surveillance place. Bangladesh will also not need to presence in space. The country is rapidly
applications in a military context, they can lease any orbital slot because the satellite developing its technological prowess as it
be used to monitor effects of man-made is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite with far moves forward with its Digital Bangladesh
ecological disasters from poorly planned less operational altitude. The Bangladesh plan.

Zimbabwe to Launch its First Satellite in 2022

The first Zimbabwean satellite, the in Japan. Japan’s space agency, the launch of the Zimbabwe Science Park and
ZIMSAT-1, will be launched in 2022. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency commissioning of the Zimbabwe National
Zimbabwean engineers will assemble (JAXA), will launch it. “Congratulations Geospatial and Space Agency (ZNGSA)
the nanosatellite, and it has reached an and well done for this first national on 13th September 2021. Zimbabwe is
advanced development stage. In addition, space project which lays the foundation putting a lot of effort into developing its
flight readiness and review will be done in for space and scientific programmes. education system for the development
December 2021, and its launch is expected This is indeed a major step in enhancing of the nation. ZNGSA is housed in the
to take place in Japan in February 2022. The the deployment of earth observation University of Zimbabwe and manned by
ZIMSAT-1 is a 1U educational and amateur technologies in supporting the National the young scientists from the innovation
radio mission cubesat manufactured Development Strategy,” the President, hubs under the Education 5.0 plan. This
under the Kyushu Institute of Technology Emmerson Mnangagwa, said at the concept places higher institutions of
learning as champions of modernization
and industrialization. Launched in 2018,
ZNGSA will make it possible for the
country to manage its natural resources
and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Furthermore, it will be deployed for earth
observation satellites, global navigation
satellite systems, geospatial and
space technologies. Additionally, these
developments are part of the country’s
plan to catch up with other nations and
become an upper-middle-class economy
by 2030. Moreso, the president pledged
more support to the newly commissioned
agency to see the growth of a technology
innovation environment that supports the
development and use of new technologies.

53 SEPTEMBER 2021