Zambia on Tuesday moved its efforts to launch its own satellite with the establishment of a committee of experts to spearhead the process.
The 20 Man Technical Steering Committee on the National Space Science program was expected to develop a roadmap and implementation plan for the launch of a space satellite in the next two years.
The Minister of Science and Technology Mr. Felix Mutati, during the unveiling of the committee “expressed confidence that the experts appointed to spearhead the development and coordinate activities for the development of space science will do a good job.”
While the Director General of the Higher Education Authority and one of the experts on the committee Mr. Stephen Simukanga,, ‘assured’ that the team was ready to start doing its work.
Limiting access
Last year, the minister said “it was imperative for the country to have its own satellite because the current situation where the country borrows space from other satellites was limiting access to data.”
He said having a satellite will go a long way in having timely data to inform decision making.
He, however, said this would be backed by the development of a science policy
XINHUA/Christopher Ojilere