The timeline of the nigerian space programes
We often hear about many top countries launching space programs as well as having many satellites that monitors and delivers information for them globally. But few Nigerians actually know anything about any space programs Nigeria has actually undertaken and even fewer will find it difficult to believe the fact that Nigeria’s satellites was implemented in monitoring the security of the nation during the 2015 polls as well as monitoring agricultural production and food the security in the region.
For those Nigerians who actually know little about the Nigerian space programs or somehow think Nigeria has no satellite in orbit here is a list of 10 facts in the timeline of the Nigerian space programs:
• Nigeria has been operating its own personal satellites since the year 2003
• Nigeria’s first satellite was launched by the national spaced research and development agency[NASRDA] IN 2003 and was given the Nigeria-sat1.it costs about 13 million dollars and was paid by the Nigerian government, but was constructed by the surrey space technology[sst] in the united kingdom and was launched into orbit from the Russian space port.
• The Nigeria-sat1 was equipped with high resolution cameras and are3vsaid to look at agricultural production and food security in the country.
• The Nigeria-sat1 lasted until 2012 and defiled the four years expectation which was due to last until 2008.
• It was succeeded by the Nigeriasat-2 and Nigeriasat-x, which both launched into orbit in 2011 was equipped with similar instruments and are also made at the SST, with Nigerian engineers helping in the construction of the sat-x.
• Another mission was added to the Nigeriasat-2 and the sat-x previous environmental missions, the spacecrafts will provide high resolution images for security ahead of the general election in 2015.
• The Nigerian SATs with other network of satellites including Chinese, Spanish, and the United Kingdom spacecrafts are parts of the international disaster monitoring constellation by the SST.
• The Nigeria-sat1 became the first satellite to send back pictures on the Hurricane Katrina, when it broadcast pictures of the east coast of the united states following the deadly hurricane, it orbiter also assists with imagery contributions to aid workers following the 2004 indian ocean tsunami.
• In 2007 the Nigcomsat-1 a communication satellite was built by the Chinese and was commissioned By the [NASRDA] and was launched in china. It lost power in 2008, and was replaced by the Nigcomsat1-R in 2011, and currently aid broadcast and internet services in the country.
