Support NeoGAF

[Afro Republican]

Rwanda’s First Satellite In Space Is Set For Release From ISS | Space in Africa

africanews.space

Rwanda’s first satellite in Space, RwaSat-1, is set to be deployed to low Earth orbit (LEO) from the International Space Station(ISS) on 18 November 2019.

The satellite built by a team of Rwandan engineers with support and supervision from the University of Tokyo was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on Tuesday, 24 September before arriving the ISS on Saturday, 28 September.

The 10 x 10 cm Cubesat weighing less than 1.2 kg was designed for space research to help the Rwandan government monitor water resources, natural disasters, agriculture and meteorology, according to Rwandan officials during the official unveiling ceremony of the satellite at the Transform Africa Summit held on 16 May 2019.

During a recent joint press conference organised by the Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Authority (RURA), the Rwanda Ministry of ICT & Innovation, and the Japanese Embassy, Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Nyirishema, RURA Director-General, disclosed the deployment details of the Cubesat.

According to him, about 50 Rwandan engineers have undergone training in space technologies. He also added that lean satellite technologies are the future and Rwanda plans to engage actively in shaping that future.

Minister for ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire said that the partnership between Rwanda and Japan has since benefited many Rwandans by offering opportunities for Rwandan engineers to have access to the University of Tokyo’s laboratories for assembly, integration and testing of the RWASat-1.

RWASat-1 will relay information to remote ground stations in Kigali via the two onboard multispectral cameras to analysed and utilised by the Ministry of Agriculture and agricultural institutions for urban planning and natural resources exploration, and for making informed decisions in predicting crop yield and monitoring of soil moisture.

In the past, Rwanda depended on other countries and private companies for geospatial data. Officials say that having a satellite, which is part of the National Space Program, will significantly reduce the cost of acquiring data.

UN:" This guy's is spending the peoples money on obvious distractions that won't produce anything."
IMF: "We will not grande you any additional aid unless you comply with our demands"
Euro: "Placing emphasis on trending programs without any plan will just be wasted money with no product to show for it."

Rwanda: "Go fuck yourself"



Anyway Rwanda has a space program they have already prepared it for orbit and it will be launching from the international space station on NOv.18th, as you ca see in the article, it's expected to do many things, and was created by 50 Rwanda engineers which were able to test the satellite in Japans labs.

Rwanda is also working on tis own labs and plans to launch an small experimental rocket into space before the end of the year but no time was given. The idea is to eventually launch a domestic made rocket into space with a human on board.

Also, announced the the same time as the initial Satellite announcement a good while ago, Rwanda is working on a learning center focusing on atmospheric and space technology and will be training many people to become professors.

Of course if you listened to the Media this isn't happening and it's just some crazy guy wasting the countries treasury producing nothing. Even though we clearly see it's happening.

I must say, from the Rwanda tech hubs, to the phones, expanding other cities in the country outside the capital, the new road project, Drone program, and other projects, it's crazy how far this country has come from being a post-genocide war zone that has nearly no infrastructure left, 2 hospitals, barely any schools, broken roads, and only a few small urban areas, and a high starvation and low life expectancy rate, to now.

Also taking a cue from Ghana Rwanda is looking into possible making it's own vehicles. Rwanda will also be selling it's new phones to surrounding countries Angola, Kenya, and others like Tanzania and Nigeria scheduled for later.

But apparently investing all this money on innovation and infrastructure improvements is a bad thing so we should be very mad that they keep being successful damn it.

 

[TrainedRage]

Rwanda is crushing it right now! First car when?

 

[Tesseract]

oh fuck yeah

 

[Starfield]

Probably everything that this company doing in Africa is backed up and under chinese control.

China always had the goal to "buy" Africa in order to have more space for their needs and wants

 

[Afro Republican]

Probably everything that this company doing in Africa is backed up and under chinese control.

China always had the goal to "buy" Africa in order to have more space for their needs and wants

What? I can't tell if sarcasm but if not China has nothing to do with the countries national space program. Chinese barely in the country anymore and only a select are even there for some road work which is being slowly replaced by natives for roads outside the capital.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Probably everything that this company doing in Africa is backed up and under chinese control.

China always had the goal to "buy" Africa in order to have more space for their needs and wants

People shouldn't underestimate the amount of investments China's made in African countries, to be sure. Also some of the stories I've heard are...wild. Like spy cameras in government buildings kind of wild.

Regardless, if these countries can manage to use those investments for their own best interests and eventually fund them with their own money generated from their own local economies, it's a net benefit for all parties.

 

[infinitys_7th]

I'm glad there is finally self-built progress being made in Africa. Good for Rwanda, and I hope they can keep it up. It's an impressive leap.

 

[Screamer-RSA]

Will it be strapped to a Black Hawk?

oh no wait that was Somalia

 

[Afro Republican]

People shouldn't underestimate the amount of investments China's made in African countries, to be sure. Also some of the stories I've heard are...wild. Like spy cameras in government buildings kind of wild.

Regardless, if these countries can manage to use those investments for their own best interests and eventually fund them with their own money generated from their own local economies, it's a net benefit for all parties.

Most of chinese investment is belt & road programs that are focused on infrastructure, where are you guys getting education and tech skills from china?

Rwanda is one of the countries in the program where China barely has a pretense, there biggest job there was vision city which is located in the capital. They had nothing to do with infrastructure in cities outside the capital, they had nothing to do with the space program (not sure how that would work since they borrowed japanese labs), or their vehicles etc.

People really have no idea how what countries are receiving Chinese investment, how they are receiving the investment, and where those investments are going.

 

[jufonuk]

first those phones now this

 

[Foamy]

Did you know the first satellite Sputnik was a sphere less that two feet in diameter and orbited the earth once every ninety-six minutes?

 

[Mohonky]

If they are successful, it'll be a great step forward, if not, it's something they'll learn from. Either way, it's a win.

Africa is rich with resources, if they are able to become a producer of technology they'll be well set on the international stage so they can move to maximise their economic output

More technology and manufacturing = more jobs, more jobs means a demand for an educated and skilled labour force and creates more opportunities for locals = less crime

 

[Master Of Illusion]

Are the thrusters powered by Youssou N'Dour's voice?

 

[Afro Republican]

If they are successful, it'll be a great step forward, if not, it's something they'll learn from. Either way, it's a win.

Africa is rich with resources, if they are able to become a producer of technology they'll be well set on the international stage so they can move to maximise their economic output

More technology and manufacturing = more jobs, more jobs means a demand for an educated and skilled labour force and creates more opportunities for locals = less crime

Actually Rwanda doesn't have natural resources making it more impressive. It's landlocked as well.

 

[DeafTourette]

They're really making Wakanda a reality!

 

[John Day]

Go for it! More jobs in tech and manufacture, more interest in school, hope this is a fucking plus for the country!

Africa go get it on!

 

[godhandiscen]

Interestingly enough, it seems that Rwanda pulled through by acting as a single political unit hell bent on achieving those goals, aka no democracy.

To Aid, or Not to Aid? The Case of Rwanda - United Nations University

Post-genocide Rwanda represents a particularly high-profile and difficult dilemma for Western donors.

unu.edu

I am happy it worked for them. It worked for China too. Hopefully they don’t continue being a totalitarian state in the future once they are reaping the rewards.

 

[Kenpachii]

yay more junk in space.

 

[Afro Republican]

Interestingly enough, it seems that Rwanda pulled through by acting as a single political unit hell bent on achieving those goals, aka no democracy.

To Aid, or Not to Aid? The Case of Rwanda - United Nations University

Post-genocide Rwanda represents a particularly high-profile and difficult dilemma for Western donors.

unu.edu

I am happy it worked for them. It worked for China too. Hopefully they don’t continue being a totalitarian state in the future once they are reaping the rewards.

I wouldn't use western media to determine what's going on in a country the UN says is "wasting funds" on things that "won't produce anything" and accusing the government of war crimes in the Congo when it had been confirmed years ago that those weren't Rwanda military, and just some terrorist stationed there after the Genocide 25 years back.

Meanwhile, Singapore, a country that actually has done things like this, is A-ok. Nothing to see here.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I love seeing more countries join the space race. Hopefully we can do so without conflict and posturing.

 

[SpartanN92]

I bet it just falls out of the sky and lands on that Hotel I keep hearing so much about.

 

[Weilthain]

Can’t wait for the awesome video footage. It won’t just be simulation screens this time I can feel it.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

Most of chinese investment is belt & road programs that are focused on infrastructure, where are you guys getting education and tech skills from china?

Rwanda is one of the countries in the program where China barely has a pretense, there biggest job there was vision city which is located in the capital. They had nothing to do with infrastructure in cities outside the capital, they had nothing to do with the space program (not sure how that would work since they borrowed japanese labs), or their vehicles etc.

People really have no idea how what countries are receiving Chinese investment, how they are receiving the investment, and where those investments are going.

You're right, and I blame a lot of that due to ignorance on my part. It just requires more work on the end-user's part to find out this kind of information because you know for damn sure the MSM isn't going to mention anything about this stuff (they're too busy focusing on petty partisan politics and culture war shenanigans). It also wouldn't fit the identity they probably want African countries to have in most Western eyes, sadly.

 

[Despera]

Probably everything that this company doing in Africa is backed up and under chinese control.

China always had the goal to "buy" Africa in order to have more space for their needs and wants

+Free donkey skin.

 

[s34ab]

I love seeing more countries join the space race. Hopefully we can do so without conflict and posturing.

The space race ended 40 years ago. You could 3d print a satellite these days.

 

[Weilthain]

The space race ended 40 years ago. You could 3d print a satellite these days.

yes but you still need nasa to help fake it

 

[Facism]

Just incredible.

 

[Afro Republican]

You're right, and I blame a lot of that due to ignorance on my part. It just requires more work on the end-user's part to find out this kind of information because you know for damn sure the MSM isn't going to mention anything about this stuff (they're too busy focusing on petty partisan politics and culture war shenanigans). It also wouldn't fit the identity they probably want African countries to have in most Western eyes, sadly.

The MSN has always lied.

Cnn still puts out pictures of Musanze city like this:

When in reality it looks like this:

They know what they're doing. It's sad really. They erased that article quick and the above country wasn't even Rwanda it was South Sudan iirc.

You can't even trust them for local new, forget about international news. Heck didn't ABC get caught faking a Syria bombing by Turkey?

 

[Panda1]

Rwanda’s First Satellite In Space Is Set For Release From ISS | Space in Africa

africanews.space

UN:" This guy's is spending the peoples money on obvious distractions that won't produce anything."
IMF: "We will not grande you any additional aid unless you comply with our demands"
Euro: "Placing emphasis on trending programs without any plan will just be wasted money with no product to show for it."

Rwanda: "Go fuck yourself"



Anyway Rwanda has a space program they have already prepared it for orbit and it will be launching from the international space station on NOv.18th, as you ca see in the article, it's expected to do many things, and was created by 50 Rwanda engineers which were able to test the satellite in Japans labs.

Rwanda is also working on tis own labs and plans to launch an small experimental rocket into space before the end of the year but no time was given. The idea is to eventually launch a domestic made rocket into space with a human on board.

Also, announced the the same time as the initial Satellite announcement a good while ago, Rwanda is working on a learning center focusing on atmospheric and space technology and will be training many people to become professors.

Of course if you listened to the Media this isn't happening and it's just some crazy guy wasting the countries treasury producing nothing. Even though we clearly see it's happening.

I must say, from the Rwanda tech hubs, to the phones, expanding other cities in the country outside the capital, the new road project, Drone program, and other projects, it's crazy how far this country has come from being a post-genocide war zone that has nearly no infrastructure left, 2 hospitals, barely any schools, broken roads, and only a few small urban areas, and a high starvation and low life expectancy rate, to now.

Also taking a cue from Ghana Rwanda is looking into possible making it's own vehicles. Rwanda will also be selling it's new phones to surrounding countries Angola, Kenya, and others like Tanzania and Nigeria scheduled for later.

But apparently investing all this money on innovation and infrastructure improvements is a bad thing so we should be very mad that they keep being successful damn it.

Wait are you telling me investing in education, technology and in your own country is a good thing? I thought the Wests model of destroying the education sector, outsourcing and mass immigration is not a winning strategy?

 

[Panda1]

Interestingly enough, it seems that Rwanda pulled through by acting as a single political unit hell bent on achieving those goals, aka no democracy.

To Aid, or Not to Aid? The Case of Rwanda - United Nations University

Post-genocide Rwanda represents a particularly high-profile and difficult dilemma for Western donors.

unu.edu

I am happy it worked for them. It worked for China too. Hopefully they don’t continue being a totalitarian state in the future once they are reaping the rewards.

You need a strong managed leadership - like in South Korea, to really make sure you think long term for the countries benefit - 10 - 20 years not short term political swings. Its hard to maintain being a totalitarian state when the citizens have access to information, goods and services from around the world.

 

[isual]

dey definitely know da way