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Another Nigerian satellite underway
Everest Amaefule, Abuja
As the lifespan of the Nigerian Satellite, popularly known as Sat-1, draws near, plans have been concluded for the construction of a follow-up satellite to be known as NigSat-2.
The target date for the inauguration of the new satellite is 2008 as the Sat-1 is not expected to survive much long after. The new satellite project will bring to three the number of satellite projects undertaken by the country.
The second satellite is also a communications satellite which is expected to be inaugurated by 2006. It is being constructed by a Chinese firm, Great Wall of China Corporation.
While Sat-1 has a resolution of 32 metres, the new satellite will have a resolution of five metres. The new satellite will also be equipped with more spectrum than the first one.
While the Sat-1 is essentially a disaster monitoring and mapping satellite, details of the mission of Sat-2 are yet to be worked out.
Director-General of the National Space Research Development Agency, Prof. Robert Borroffice, who disclosed these in Abuja on Tuesday, explained that NARSDA embarked upon the new satellite project on the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He spoke at the start of a collaborative effort between NARSDA and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation to raise the number of Geodetic Ground Controls in the country.
Geodetic Ground Controls are coordinated beacons used in the determination of actual positions of objects on the surface of the earth.
He said, “The paucity of the controls in the country and their uneven distribution have distorted the images captured by Sat-1 and reduced the use of the images.
“The problem of horizontal and vertical displacement of captured satellite images by NigeriaSat-1 is critical to the surveying and mapping community.
“Satellite imageries which are products of space technology require height information along with other corrections such as radiometric, geographic, band co-registration for it to be useful for topographical mapping of the country and other engineering applications.”
“It is also important to note that the provision of these Geodetic Controls will create an enabling environment for the successful takeoff of the communication to be launched in 2006 and Nigeria Sat-2.”
The Punch, Wednesday June 22, 2005
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