First satellites from Uganda has been launched to the Space Station today 7th November 2022, under a Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite program (BIRDS).
The Cygnus spacecraft carried the Satellite component to the orbiting laboratory when it lifts off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.
The satellite operations are meant to be performed at Mpooma ground station after deployment.
Uganda is among several African, Asian, and South American countries benefiting from the Birds Satellite project initiated in 2015 by the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan.
The Uganda team comprising engineers Edgar Mujuni, Bonny Omara and Derrick Tebusweke are back home and watched the NASA launch on TV at Kololo Ceremonial grounds, where the minister Of science and technology was that chief guest.
Since 2015, the Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology has been carrying out the BIRDS program with the goal of fostering a long-term and sustainable space organization in participating nations. BIRDS-5 is a constellation of CubeSats developed by Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Japan that has been deployed from the space station.
Specifically, it PEARLAFRICASAT-1, the first satellite developed by Uganda that’s been assembled by three Ugandan space engineers; ZIMSAT-1, Zimbabwe’s first satellite; and TAKA from Japan.
BIRDS-5 performs multispectral observations of earth using a commercial off-the-shelf camera and demonstrates a high-energy electronic measuring instrument.
While addressing the press, Minister Musenero says statistical data collected could help distinguish bare ground from forest and farmland and possibly indicate the quality of agricultural growth.
This could help improve the livelihood of citizens of Uganda.
The cross-border university project, BIRDS provides students from developing nations with hands-on satellite development, laying a foundation for similar space technology projects in their home countries that ultimately could lead to sustainable space programs there.
The Ugandan engineers were enrolled at the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), in Japan where they underwent training in space technology following a collaborative agreement with the Ugandan government in 2019.
While concluding her speech, the minister also called up on schools, institutions and the General public to be part of the science week exhibition taking place at Kololo ceremonial ground.
The event is expected to kick off today 7th Monday November 2022 and will be officially opened by the prime minister of Uganda Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja on 8th Tuesday November 2022.
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