With help from Japan, Rwanda is on the verge of launching its first telecoms satellite this year. The satellite is expected to launch from the international space station into orbit before the ‘Transform Africa’ Summit in Kigali in May 2019.
This plan is in collaboration with the Japan cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The agreement for this collaboration was signed in 2018 between Rwanda and Japan. The model of the satellite prototype was first displayed in May 2018 by the Rwanda team of experts during the Transform Africa Summit in Kigali, as 100 Japanese companies exhibited cutting edge satellite technologies.
This satellite initiative for Rwanda to launch its own telecommunications and long term space programme was first announced in 2017 and was set for 2020 but the country will have it earlier than the scheduled launch year. This was disclosed by the ambassador for Japan to Rwanda, Takayuki Mayishita.
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Patrick Nyirishema director general Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Authority said they are trying to shorten the timeline. “We are trying to shorten. Satellite technology will not only build capabilities for our people, but it will also give us the capacity, for instance, to inspect certain activities within the agriculture sector, monitor wetlands as part of environmental conservation efforts, and in smart urban planning.” He added.
Selected Rwanda engineers are being trained at the University of Tokoyo, in collaboration with their Japanese counterparts ahead of the launch. This is considered a leap in technology development for Rwanda as this potential is yet untapped within the African continent.