By TESFA-Alem TEKLE
borkena
December 20, 2019
(ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia on Friday successful launched its first ever satellite to space through the support of China.
The launch took place at around 7:02 am local time from a satellite launch station located around 400 kilometers away from Beijing.
Footage on Ethiopia’ national television showed the satellite soaring long into the sky.
High-level government officials have witnessed the launch of the satellite Live on national TV, from a command and control center in Ethiopia at the Entoto space observatory facility, East Africa’s only space observatory facility.
Named ETRSS-1, Ethiopia will use its remote sensing micro satellite to monitor weather patterns resources and to forecast weather for better agricultural planning, to monitor drought early warning system and forestry management.
The satellite is a 72 kg Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite, built at a cost of USD 8 million through the support from the Chinese government.
The satellite was launched as a result of a collaboration between Ethiopian and Chinese engineers.
Today’s launch of ETRSS-1 is part of Ethiopia’s phase I of space development strategy.
According to Minister of Innovation and Technology, Getahun Mekuria, Ethiopia’s phase II space development project is expected to start in January 2020 which intends the construction of satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration and test (MAIT) facilities in the capital Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia has an ambitious plans of launching more navigation satellites in the years to come.
“Ethiopia is planning to launch 15 satellites in the next 10-15 years” Beza Tesfaye,General Manager of Ethiopian Space Science Society told Borkena.
Beza says once launched those satellites will will help Ethiopia save the money that it currently spends to get information from foreign-owned satellites.
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What a relief to know we finally got a satellite in space , it felt like this day would never come . I am glad we finally can lift our heads up .
Congratulation for all Ethiopians
What an uplifting news for me!!! While I bask in the moment hearing the extra ordinary scientific advances achieved by our glorious daughters like Rediet bint Abebe, Lydia bint Gossa and Timnit bint Gebru and now this? All I can say again and again is The Good Lord Has Been Good To Me!!! Some friends called in 1991 and told that Mama Ethiopia, that gem of the colored was no more! She was dead!!! They told me ‘She is dead now!’ They said ‘You and we left her in one piece but she is dead and gone now!’ I then fell on my knees and cried out to The Almighty Our Creator, The Merciful!!! I cried ‘ Lord, why have You forsaken Your Hand Built Pride and Joy?’ God showed me how He Did Not Abandon Her!!! He Told Me ‘Your Mama Ethiopia Is Not Dead!!! She Is Still Alive!! She Is Badly Bruised and Bloodied But She Is Still Alive and Kicking!!’ Folks!!! God Has Been Good To Me and Mama, That Gem of The Colored!!! God Has Been Good To Me!!!
And then again in 2016-2018 a friend called and told me that that time was for sure Our Mama Ethiopia Was On Her Last Life Support!!! She Would Be Dead In Days!!!! But I Told Them The Good Old Our Creator The Most Merciful Has Always Been Good To Me and Mama!!! He Shall Not Abandon Her Because He Has Been Good To Her!!!! Dear Countrymen/women!!! You know me by now that I have nothing but love for you!!! The space age has finally come to the land of Negash, Bilal and Mary Magdalene!!!! I Praise The Lord Our Creator For Blessing Me To Live So Long To See This Day!!! Now I am being overwhelmed by raw emotion!!!
Ok Satoshi Kanazawa!!! In your bigoted face!!!! How About You Looking At the Moon and Eating Your Crow!!!!
Can moderare comments
This story has sparked an almost forgotten memory in me lately. I was talking to a friend on the phone yesterday where one conversation leading to another led me into a story I had heard in the early to mid 1960’s when I was a student in the Middle East. The story was about a group of very bright students at Dire Dawa or Harar high school students along with their Indian physics teacher were able to successfully launch a miniature rocket. I was told their story by one of my Warra Cercer(Chercher) friends. As an engineer student already I was eager to have the chance to meet anyone of them but a couple years passed by before I had the chance to go back home. When I went back after a couple years I did not know I will be up to a disappointment. Someone told me that the officials had disbanded the group and their Indian physics teacher had gone back to his country because he was denied a contract renewal. That was heartbreaking news for me. But to this day no one has been able to tell me the fate of those bright students who were way ahead of their time. May be the geopolitical environment there did not allow the old country to do anything that has to do with rocketry. I want to give same shout out to anyone of them if they are still with us on this good earth and tell us about the true story about that feat which should be brought to light on this historical occasion. It will be one of the umpteen reasons why I tell everyone that The Good Lord Has Been Good To Me!!! That story happened almost 60 years ago and many of my friends and relatives from that time are with The Lord already but I am still here With His Blessings to tell/reminisce about it!!! All Glory To Our Creator!!!
Ittu…
Not exactly sure but it is very likely it might have been my school ( Dejazmatch Woldegebriel Abba Seitan secondary school) in Asebe Teferi. Indeed there were some bright students, who were obsessed with the subject, physics ( I was not one of them).
I remember to this day the group’s studying pattern, chat and study that was it. The Indian physics teacher was Mr Baschu then came Mr Tewolde..both were very demanding, highly feared and respected at the same time. Both also acted abnormal., and Mr Baschu at times comes to class without a single note in his hands but when he dictates the the lengthy questions, and going over the problems he was fascinating. Wore cheap snickers with mismatched socks..but you can tell he was on top of his game.