Ethiopia to launch broadcast satellite in November in association with China

Another agreement has been signed between Ethiopia and China to jointly work on the making of a communication and broadcast satellite. The agreement has recently been signed in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa by Dr Solomon Belay, Director General of Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, and Han Chinping, Deputy President of Chinese Rocket Company.

The documents reveal that the Earth observation satellite is under construction by Ethiopian and Chinese experts. The agreement was signed between Han Chinping, Deputy President of Chinese Rocket Company and Solomon Belay, General Director of Space Science Technology Institute.

The Ethiopian and Chinese experts will build the satellite, which is going to be the second satellite by the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute for the Ethiopian government. According to the Director, Ethiopia’s Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite ETRSS-1 will now be launched into space in November 2019. The design, development and manufacturing of the satellite are done in collaboration with the Chinese at USD 8 million cost. China has provided training and USD 6 million for the project.

“The main mission of this space satellite is to monitor climate change and assess environmental issues such as proper application of water resources, mining activities and other activities related to environmental purposes,” Solomon Belay opined.

Ethiopia will become the 9^th African country to send a satellite into space after Ghana, Kenya, Angola, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco.

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