Egypt has catapulted itself into the forefront of space exploration and climate research with the successful launch of its second earth observation satellite, EgyptSat-2, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in China on December 4. The satellite, designed to investigate the impacts of climate change on the environment, stands as a testament to Egypt's commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Constructed and rigorously tested at the Egyptian Space Agency’s Satellite Assembly, Integration, and Testing Centre (AITC), the largest of its kind in Africa and the Middle East, EgyptSat-2 is a result of collaboration under the Egypt-China technical cooperation agreement. Egyptian engineers collaborated with Chinese experts throughout the satellite's design and manufacturing stages, with Egypt proudly claiming the significant milestone of producing one of the satellite's components domestically.
Beyond its technological achievement, the satellite is a crucial element of Egypt's broader space program, focused on building human resource capabilities in space sciences and establishing a scientific research base to harness space technologies for national development.
In addition to supporting China's Belt and Road Initiative, EgyptSat-2 plays a pivotal role in Africa, enhancing Egypt's leading position by offering targeted training programs for specialized professionals in the continent and the Middle East. This is particularly vital in a continent where only a fraction of launched satellites were designed and assembled locally.
The EgyptSat-2 initiative aligns with Egypt's National Climate Change Strategy 2050, serving as a pivotal tool for integrating climate change issues into education, scientific research, technology transfer, and awareness-raising.
As Egypt plans to launch the National Experimental Satellite (NExSat-1) by the end of 2023, the nation solidifies its commitment to space exploration and sustainable development, contributing significantly to both regional and global initiatives.
Article by Jed Mwangi
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