The Defence Space Administration (DSA) in Nigeria has expressed interest for “independent transponders” on the two satellites, NigComSat 2&3 to be launch by the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd.
The Chief of DSA, Air Vice Marshal, Ahmed Shinkafi expressed this interest during an engagement with the Managing Director/CEO of NIGCOMSAT, Tukur Mohammed Lawal and the management team of the satellite company in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The DSA Chief further stated that his agency is interested on ‘independent transponder’ on the two satellites (NigComSat 2&3) to be launched in no distant time..
While expressing gratitude to NIGCOMSAT for the continuous training of DSA staff, he said the L-band payload which he described as “very dear to their heart” should have a fit-in design to accommodate DSA’s unique requirements on the design of NigComSat 2&3.
Shinkafi, who lauded NIGCOMSAT for the different amenities including broadband services it has provided the DSA on its communications satellite, NigComSat-1R, requested for more collaborations between the civilian satellite operator and the military operator.
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Responding, the Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT, Mr. Tukur Mohammed Lawal, affirmed desire of NIGCOMSAT to strengthen its partnership with the DSA and expressed the company’s commitment to promote space administration in the country.
Lawal assured the new CDSA that NIGCOMSAT Ltd is willing to contribute its quarters in the promotion of Space administration in the country and assured the CDSA that NIGCOMSAT engineers will offer training to the Defence Space Administration staff when the need arise.
The two organisations will be working to sign off on an MoU in August to seal the transponder deal NigComSat 2&3.
A member of the DSA team, Navy Commodore Chris Anuge (rtd), said the DSA has launched its satellite known as Nsat-1 and urged NIGCOMSAT to take advantage of the military satellite as part of the collaborations between the two organisations.