The cubesat sent to space by NASA will take photos of the earth in order to collect data for weather surveillance and agriculture.
Le Monde with AFP
Zimbabwe announced on Monday, November 7, sending into the space of the first satellite in its history. The small block, no bigger than a shoe box, must take photos of the earth and collect data. “History is making its way. #Zimsat1 is in space!”, Failed on Twitter the government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana, greeting “an important scientific stage for the country”.
A rocket brought to 10 h 32 GMT in Virginia (United States) a freighter for the International Space Station (ISS), taking three cubesat on board developed by Zimbabwe, Uganda and Japan confirmed NASA. “The satellites will take photos of the earth to collect data for weather surveillance and disasters,” said the agency on Twitter in a post accompanied by a photo of small technology concentrates decorated each with a national flag .
The images harvested will also make it possible to distinguish bare soils from agricultural forests and land and can be used “to improve the livelihoods of citizens of Uganda and Zimbabwe,” said NASA in a press release.
an exsangue economy
Zimbabwe is working on the project – whose cost has not been disclosed – since 2018, after President Emmerson Mnangagwa, successor to Robert Mugabe, created the national and spatial national agency of Zimbabwe (Zings). In this country plagued by poverty and an bloodless economy, the announcement of the orbit of a satellite aroused strong reactions on social networks.
“Launching a satellite while the economy is fragile is stupid. Poverty has increased in the past five years. You cannot buy a car when your family is hungry,” posted Andrew Gocha, a Twitter user who presents himself as “political analyst and economist”.
Zimbabwe has been immersed in a deep economic crisis for twenty years and remains targeted by international sanctions. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced in September growth forecasts that are still downwards, in particular due to a drop in agricultural production.