News: Ethiopia set to launch its first satellite this Friday
Mahlet Fasil
Addis Abeba, December 17/2029 – Getahun Mekuria, Minister, Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MoIT), told the media last Sunday that the country’s first satellite called ETRSS-1 is set to be launched on Friday December 20 at 6:21 local time from a space station located 500 km from Beijing, China.
Manufactured in collaboration between Ethiopian engineers in China and the Chinese government, which also covered much of the costs, the remote sensing satellite will be used, among others, for forest resource and weather forecast monitoring, for agricultural transformation, as well as infrastructure development. “China has helped train 20 Ethiopian space engineers both in China and at home using experienced Chinese personnel. These Ethiopian engineers are expected to play a key part in operating Ethiopia’s first space satellite,” Getahun told Xinhua.
Speaking at the presser, Getahun said that ETRSS-1 will be the 99th satellite to travel to the space in the year 2019.
A team of Ethiopian senior officials, trained engineers, members of the house of people’s representatives, officials from Ethiopia’s space science institute and journalists will travel to China to witness the launching ceremony.
Simultaneously the launching will be attended by senior officials from its command and control center in Ethiopia which is located at the 3, 200 mere mountain in Entoto space observatory facility. The facility is East Africa’s only space observatory facility.
A display showing the shape of ETRSS-1 will also be unveiled for public viewing at Addis Abeba’s Mesqel square at 9:00 AM local time, according to Getahun. AS
