Moment of pride as Uganda launches satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1, into International Space Station
The minister said government agencies were buying this information from other countries with satellites but now Uganda will generate its data. Uganda will also be able to sell this kind of data to willing buyers.
Uganda’s satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1, has been launched into the International Space Station giving the country an advantage to access and generate vital information that is important to the development of the nation.
The minister of science, technology and innovation, Monica Musenero, said Uganda will be able to access information about the weather, minerals data, disasters and other dependents on the satellite.
“What you can use with this information is dependent on the capacity you build so it is extremely important. It is very relevant,” the minister told NBS Television from Kololo Airstrip where the government set up the launch viewing point.
She said government agencies were buying this information from other countries with satellites but now Uganda will generate its data. Uganda will also be able to sell this kind of data to willing buyers.
This is the first satellite Uganda is sending into orbit and it will take 51 hours to land on the International Space Station. It will then take Uganda three weeks for the operation to go operational.
This satellite will support weather forecasting, land, water, and mineral mapping, agriculture monitoring, infrastructure planning, border security, and disaster prevention.
