Nigeria is accelerating the development of space technology industry with the government's ambitious plans to build and launch satellites and to establish two satellite development centers.

According to Minister of Science and Technology Turner Isoun, the launching of Nigeria's communication satellite has been fixed for May 12.

The satellite, codenamed NIGCOMSAT-1, will be performed in a city in China and it has already started its journey to the site where the eventual launch into orbit will be conducted, said Isoun at a one-day space science workshop in Abuja on Thursday.

The minister said, ahead of the formal launch, the communication satellite has already transmitted well over 2,000 images to its ground base in Abuja and the facility is equipped with 26 transponders to aid communication anywhere in Africa.

"The satellite is also positioned to provide comprehensive transmission services via digital or analogue system, operate same by either fixed or mobile satellite, direct broadcast satellite services, end-to-end solution and engage in transponder leasing," he said.

The minister said NIGCOMSAT-1 will provide a wide range of innovative solutions to challenges facing communication networking in Nigeria and the African continent.

Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency Robert Ajayi Boroffice said the cost of the design and manufacture of Nigeria's first ever communication satellite is 450 million U.S. dollars.

He said the cost includes that of manufacturing the satellite equipment, building of the ground station and sponsoring staff training.

Borofice said, shortly after the launching of the facility, it would be handed over to be managed by a commercial entity known as NIGCOMSAT Nigeria Limited, which will undertake marketing and sale of bandwidths and other services of the satellite.

He said the advent of a wholly owned satellite facility by an African nation has put an end to the continent's dependence on outsiders for its needs.

Boroffice said to promote Nigeria's aspiration to develop its own capacity in the field of space technology, a Nigerian-built satellite, NigeriaSat-2, would be launched in 2009.

The construction of the Nigerian satellite is being undertaken by 25 Nigerian engineers.

Nigeria has just approved the construction of two satellite centers to be located in Abuja, capital of the country.

The Satellite Design Center (SDC) and Satellite Assembly, Integration and Test Center (AITC) are to provide critical infrastructure base for training Nigerian space engineers and scientists.

The centers will also facilitate Nigerian engineers to design, build, launch and manage Nigeria's satellites in orbit.

Source: Xinhua