Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Updated: August 25th, 2020
New York (TADIAS) — The Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute announced that it will launch a second Earth observation satellite into space this coming December.
The new satellite called ET-SMART-RSS is expected to provide better quality images from areas that were not covered by the first satellite that was intended to collect agricultural, mining and other environmental data.
According to the announcement ET-SMART-RSS, which weighs 8.9 kilograms (19.6 pounds), is designed by Ethiopian engineers with financial assistance from China’s Beijing Smart Satellite Space Technology Corporation.
“ET-SMART-RSS will benefit our country for at least one year,” the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute quoted its project coordinator Dr. Yeshurun Alemayehu in a statement shared on Facebook Tuesday.
Ethiopia celebrated the launch of its inaugural satellite ETRSS-1 in December 2019, marking a historic achievement for the country’s nascent space program. ETRSS-1 was sent into orbit from the Taiyuan space base in northern China, while Ethiopian officials and scientists watched a live broadcast of the launch from the Entoto Observatory and Research Centre located near Addis Ababa.
The press release notes that the new satellite is scheduled to lift off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in China’s Hainan province in late December 2020.
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Related:
Ethiopia’s first satellite launched into space by China
People attend the launch of Ethiopia’s first micro-satellite (ETRSS-1) at the Entoto Observatory on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa, Friday Dec. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)
By ELIAS MESERET
Updated: December 20, 2019
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s first-ever satellite has been launched into space by China.
The earth observatory satellite is designed to help the East African nation gather data for agricultural, mining and environmental protection.
“Ethiopia has joined the effort to seek knowledge and information from space,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said in a congratulatory message to Ethiopians.
He said that Ethiopia will send up more satellites in collaboration with other countries, without giving details.
“This is a day we became one of the 70 countries in the world that operate a satellite from space,” said Ahmedin Mohammed, an official with Ethiopia’s Innovation and Technology Ministry. “The next step is to launch a communication satellite and also set up a space materials assembly and manufacturing facility here in Ethiopia.”
Ethiopian space officials stated both Ethiopian and Chinese engineers took part in the construction of the 72 kilogram (159 pound) satellite that took three years.
The total cost of the satellite was $8 million, of which $6 million was covered by China, said Ethiopian officials. Ethiopia hopes to save up to $11 million a year by using their own satellite data.
The satellite was sent into space from Shanxi Province in China. Ethiopian and Chinese officials monitored the launch from a command and control center set up in the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa. They watched a video stream from China.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is credited with starting the satellite program three years ago while he was Minister for Technology.