Called the GhanaSat-1, Ghana’s first satellite was deployed into orbit in July 2017. The satellite is now properly orbiting earth functionally according to the project manager, Richard Damaoh.
A Ghanaian engineering team at All Nations University helped NASA’s International Space station by building the cubesat which is a type of miniaturized satellite that is used for space research.
The cubesat was delivered to NASA in June and was then added to a rocket deployed form pad 39a at the Kennedy Space Center.
Damaoh has explained that this satellite has two separate missions at hand. The first is to perform a detailed monitoring of the Ghana coastlines with the built-in cameras that the satellite has on board. The second mission is purely educational as they intend to integrate the satellite’s technology into high school curriculum.
Despite the president of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo’s public applaud of the launch, this space project was not supported at all by the Ghanaian government.
Instead of the government of the country stepping into help, the one who aided with supplying the bulk of the resources for the project was Japan’s national space agency, JAXA. They not only supplying a bulk of the resources, but also helped with training.
In contrast with the initial response of the government, Damaoh remains hopeful that the launch of the country’s first satellite may result in the development of a second satellite with the help of their government’s resources this time around.
Damaoh boldly stated that the All Nations University and Ghana’s Science and space and Technology Center now has the backing of their government.