Nigeria is to launch Africa’s first nano-satellite (an artificial satellite with a wet mass between one and 10 kg 2.2–22 lb) into the orbit, the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Prof Seidu Mohammed, has said.
Mohammed told the Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the Nigeria’s nano-satellite would be launched alongside four other countries between May 23 to May 27.
The NASRDA chief disclosed that the nano-satellite would be launched “within the window of May 23 and 27” from the launch base at Miami, Florida, U.S.
According to him, the latest satellite to be launched is another feat achieved by the Nigerian engineers.
Mohammed said: “Nigeria, along with other four countries – Japan, Ghana, Bangladesh and Nepal – in the last one year, came together to work in a constellation to build about five nano-satellites.
“You may ask ‘what are these nano-satellites for?’ It’s a scientific satellite that is to study environmental parameters.
“They would help in most of these environmental issues to study them – environmental characterization.
“In addition to that, they would also be carrying camera that would acquire some form of data.
“And what we have also demonstrated by this is the fact that Nigerian engineers and scientists earlier built Nigerian Sat-X using the laboratory in Missouri.
“They’ve gone ahead again to build nano-satellite in the laboratory in Kyushu University in Japan and all these are parts of efforts to sustain technology already transferred to Nigerian scientists and engineers”.
The NASRDA chief said in addition to the feat achieved by the Nigerian engineers, there was the need to encourage the youth to take career in space science and technology.
“Those nano-satellites, each time they are within the Nigerian territory, would be singing National Anthem.
“So those who carry UHF radio would be able to receive it and all these are part of Nigeria’s efforts,” he said.
The space chief also declared that Nigeria would be a space power by 2030, sending an astronaut into space from Nigerian-owned launch facility on Nigeria’s soil.
According to him, the engineers that design and launch Nigerian satellites are at the Centre for Satellite Technology Development at NASRDA.
“There is a ‘Road map for Development of Space Science and Technology’ ending in 2030.
“We hope by 2030, facilities for launch would have been provided in Nigeria so that by that year, we would have launched satellite from Nigeria into space.”
He expressed optimism that with the current efforts of the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the plan would be actualized.
“We would be able to complete our Assembling, Integration, Testing and Design before 2018, and by 2022, most of these efforts would begin to crystallize.
“The large-scale commercialization of space equipment would be possible in our country, and by 2030, we believe that there would be a launching facility from our country.
“We believe before 2030, there will be need for Nigeria to be an international space station,” the NASRDA chief said.
He commended the team of engineers scientists at NASRDA, saying efforts are ongoing to ensure that by 2018, the first satellite would roll out of the agency’s facility.
According to him, NASRDA remains the number one space agency in Africa, adding it has so far launched five satellites – three earth observation satellites and two communication satellites.
NAN reports that NASRDA since inception in 2001 had launched five satellites.
The first satellite, NigeriaSat-I, an international disaster monitoring constellation satellite, built by a UK-based satellite technology company, Surrey Space Technology Limited, was launched in 2003.
NigComSat-I, the second Nigerian satellite was ordered and built in China in 2004; it was Africa’s first communication satellite, launched on May 13, 2007.
NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X, which, respectively, were the third and fourth built by Surrey Space Technology Limited., were launched in Aug. 17, 2011.
The fifth, NigComSat-1R was launched by China on Dec. 19, 2011.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
