Ethiopia launched its first satellite from the Baikonur Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center < / span>in China. It is expected that the satellite dubbed ETRSS-1, will monitor the environment and weather conditions for better agricultural planning, early warning on drought, to carry out mineral exploration and to assist in forest management in the country.
the Satellite was developed by the Chinese Academy of space technology (CAST), which became the main contractor of the project, in collaboration with Ethiopian scientists 21, re-trained under this project in the framework of the agreement on the transfer of technology between Beijing and the Ethiopian Institute of space technology (ESSTI).
the Chinese government has spent $ 8 million on design, construction and delivery of a satellite into orbit, including the cost of installing ground stations in Ethiopia. An additional $ 6 million was spent on satellite and training Ethiopian engineers and the Ethiopian government has allocated $ 2 million for this project.
Ethiopian engineers will monitor the satellite with multichannel ground station tracking and data reception, built in Observatory Entoto on the same hill on the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
multi-Spectral satellite remote sensing Ethiopia ETRSS-1 weight 72 kg will rotate in orbit at an altitude of 700 km from the Earth.
On the occasion of the launch of the first in the history of Ethiopia of the satellite, the Observatory took place the solemn event, which was attended by senior government officials, diplomats, space engineers and other high-ranking officials and the residents of Addis Ababa.
Speaking during this event, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen announced the launch ETRSS-1 "historic step".
In an interview with Chinese state news Agency Xinhua, Beza Tesfai, Director General of the Ethiopian space science society (ESSS), expressed satisfaction with the successful launch of the first in the history of Ethiopian satellite into space with the support of China.
Beza said that China, which is currently one of nine countries in the world with sufficient capacity to launch "generously provided their knowledge and experience in the field of space technology Ethiopia".
In his televised address on Friday, Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed said that the launch ETRSS-1 into space marked the beginning of a historic moment in the desire of Ethiopia to the development of the sector of space science.
Saying that China supported by the satellite will play a decisive role in the modernization of agriculture of Ethiopia, Ahmed welcomed the role of the project in knowledge transfer from the Chinese to the Ethiopians in satellite projects.
the Minister for innovation and technologies of Ethiopia Getahun Mekuria responded to critics who accuse his government in funding the wrong priorities, given the level of poverty in the country, with his companion Ethiopia will eventually return the invested money because she will no longer need to pay for remote sensing data from foreign satellites.
