Rwanda plans to exploit its satellite data for national growth. It seeks to embark on satellite projects hinged on RWASAT-1, its first satellite. The Director-General for the Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Authority (RURA), Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Nyirishema disclosed that the satellite will be deployed to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) from the International Space Station (ISS) on the 18th of November 2019.
“Rwanda is new on this path of lean space technology, but we have chosen to build capacity on this first path. In the past, satellite technology cost hundreds of millions of dollars. We are now entering a period where it is possible to build low-cost satellites that can perform many applications,” he said while announcing the arrival of RWASAT-1.
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RWASAT-1 was built by a team of Rwandan engineers with support from the University of Tokyo. The satellite has advanced cameras for collecting data that will be transmitted to control centres located in Kigali.
It was designed for space research to help the government monitor water resources, natural disasters, agriculture and meteorology. The government plans to use data from the satellite for urban planning, exploration, crop yield prediction and invariably boost national growth.
About 50 Rwandan engineers have undergone training in space technologies. Rwanda plans to actively engage satellite technologies in shaping the future.
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