HELLO SPACE

Mathew Masinge

HISTORIC!

Zimbabwe yesterday launched its first satellite, the ZIMSAT-1, into space.

The satellite was launched from NASA in the United States via the S.S Sally Ride spacecraft named after the first American woman in space.

The spacecraft also carried satellites from Uganda and Japan.

The launch was courtesy of a Japanese programme, the Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite (BIRDS) Project, which trains scientists from non-space countries.

The Zimbabwean team of engineers, resident in Japan for the development and integration of ZIMSAT-1, include Ramson Munyaradzi Nyamukondiwa, Victor Mukunungugwa (project manager) and Timothy Kudzana Kuhamba.

Tweeting about this historic event, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary, Nick Mangwana, said this was a scientific milestone for the country.

“This is a scientific milestone for the country.

“The benefits from this is going to be primarily in agriculture on information such as crop yield estimation, land cov-er and land use. #Vision2030,” he tweeted.

“Thanks to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) without whose help over the last four years this would not have been possible.”

The satellite is set to support research on weather forecasting, agriculture, monitoring, border security, and disas-ter prevention, among other services.