At exactly 23h37 local time on February 27, 2019, all eye were on the national television of Rwanda as their government and telecommunication giant, One Web launched their first ever Satellite that will connect remote schools to the internet.
The global Satellite named ‘Icyerekezo’ is a symbol of Rwanda’s commitment to build the local space industry, build local capacity, inspire the younger generation and prepare to usher Rwanda into a hyper-connected future, Rwanda’s Ministry of Information Telecommunication Technology and Innovation said in a statement.
New information gathered by Celebrities Buzz clearly indicates that the Rwandan government is set to launch another one.
In July 2019, (Ecofin Agency) reported that plans are underway for Rwanda to launch another satellite into low orbit. At least, the country is ready to take this step that will confirm its progress in space development.
The satellite, CubeSat, destined for space research, will collect data on water resources, natural disasters, agriculture and meteorology and transmit them to a control centre.
CubeSat, a 10X10 cm satellite weighing 1.2 kg, was officially presented on May 16, 2019, at the Transform Africa Summit and handed to Rwanda’s IT minister Paula Ingabire (photo).
“When we started shaping and designing our national space program, we knew building capacities were going to be a foundation. We have been working with different partners specifically the government of Japan and university of Tokyo,” the minister said.
According to the official, CubeSat is evidence of Rwanda’s progress in its space program and in honing the skills of its engineers.
