Zimbabwe is enhancing its space presence by launching three new satellites, including the advanced Earth Observation satellite ZimSat-2 scheduled for late 2024. The other two satellites are in early production stages after approval from the government. This effort builds on the successful launch of ZimSat-1, the nation’s first Earth Observation CubeSat, in November 2022.
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According to Zimbabwe’s Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Mthuli Ncube, the country has forged a partnership with Japan to realize this ambitious project, akin to its previous collaboration.
As part of this collaboration, Japan will impart training to graduates, laying the groundwork for Zimbabwe to potentially manufacture its satellites in the future. Ncube emphasized that beyond the three planned satellites, more projects are on the horizon.
In a separate statement, Painos Gweme, Coordinator of the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINSGA), affirmed that the agency is actively engaged with various partners to design, manufacture, assemble, test, and launch satellites in alignment with Zimbabwe’s national space strategy.
Gweme reassured that updates on the progress of ZimSat-2 would be announced by the government in June 2024, reaffirming the country’s aspiration to domestically manufacture space satellites in the long run.
The collaborative training program will encompass satellite design, production, testing, and launch, in addition to ground station setup, uplink and downlink data, and satellite monitoring and control throughout their orbital life.
The educational Earth Observation Cubesat, ZimSat-1, was instrumental in mapping land use, land cover, and monitoring water quality, transmitting vital data from orbit to the command center at the Mazowe ground station. It has since played a pivotal role in agricultural and mining mapping initiatives.
Meanwhile, the forthcoming ZimSat-2 project will serve as another Earth observation satellite, endowed with enhanced capabilities compared to its predecessor.
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