The first Ethiopian spacecraft

This is the year that happens many spacecraft launches and the various developments in the spacecraft field. Always we talk about the missions of the United States of America. Even the most prestigious companies are SpaceX and NASA. Therefore I have decided to tell you about some different things. It is an unfamiliar country. Then we will see this the first attempt of Ethiopia and the status of this launching. I think you even like to know some different incidents. As Ethiopia, the other countries even start such projects. Through the above article, I told you about a space project in India. India is an eastern country. Now shall we move to our topic???? 

The project 

   That launched last Friday. Actually, on the 20th of December 2019. This is a step in Africa. That is named the ETRS – 1. That means the Ethiopian Remote sensing satellites. This is hosted by the Chinese Long March 4B rocket. 

   Most of the people engaged to see this launching live. That is in the capital Addis Ababa. All the scores of Ethiopian and Chinese officials gathered there. There is at the Entoto observatory. 

   This is a development by the Chinese Academy of space technology. It weighs about 70 kilograms. It is about 154 pounds. Twenty-one of scientists helped in the production. You know how the knowledge of societies is useful in this kind of creations. I told you a bit of detail. 

  Then do you know the primary purpose of this launching??? I’ll tell you. That is for the sending back of the data about the weather patterns and the environment. That is within the region of Africa. Those details will be helpful for the various climatic changes. They are such as floods and droughts. Because Africa is dependent on agriculture, the destruction can occur due to those climatic changes. 

   About this spacecraft, the deputy prime minister of Ethiopia holds this idea. It is,

“This will be a foundation for our historic journey to prosperity.” 

 Yes, it will be correct. The deputy prime minister is Mr. Demeke Mekonnen. 

   I even thought this is the first attempt at launching a spacecraft. But I am also wrong because this is the eight attempt. Wonderful. It’s fantastic because this is the eight attempt within this year. Then the Onion said that

“we can say that 2019 is pretty much the best year in the history of the African space industry”. 

    And with this launch, Ethiopia became the eleventh country that is the eleventh country. In what field that this became the eleventh country???? Ethiopia became the eleventh African country to have a satellite into space. You know that this is the eleventh African country. Through the African countries, Egypt is the first country. 

   All over African countries have launched 41 satellites. But they haven’t crossed the number of Satellites by the United States of America. But we can’t predict the future. Out of the above 41, 38 are from the individual countries. Others are from the cooperation of multiple countries.

   To those above projects, China helped in most of the expenditure. Although they are the productions of Africa but no one launched from Africa. China covers about $8 million if the cost. 

  Except then the above companies, there are some more companies involved in this. Then we can see about them. The major one is an Ethiopian space science society. That is known as the ESSS. The following is even an idea of the producers. 

  “after the launch of the ETRS – 1 is done, we will work to be sufficient maybe at our third or fourth satellites, using our domestic system”. 

   Ethiopia has a fast-growing economy. Then how useful are these satellites??? This is proud of them. Finally, I can tell you the main opinion of the Ethiopian nations. It is, 

“you know, this is a very poor country. Many in the younger generation don’t have big hopes of reaching space. But today we are giving this generation hope, helping this generation to think big and have self – esteem” 

  I have told you many details about the project. But that is not all. You have to know the specifications and the importance of this space satellite. That is, 

ETRSS – 1

   You know that this was not launched from the African land. This is launched from China. And that is through a Chinese Long March 4B rocket. That is the first remote satellite. That is from the Taiyuan satellite launch centre in China. 

  In the beginning, this was planned to launch on the 17th of December. That postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. And this is considered as a secondary payload. Even the CBERS 4A is a  remote sensing satellite as the primary payload. This is the fifth China-Brazil Earth’s resources. This above CBERS 4A is in the same configuration with the CBERS 4 and the CBERS 3 satellite. This provides optical payloads. Plus, it is in the visible Spectrum with the resolutions in the range of 2 to 60 meters. 1730 kg is the total mass of the CBERS 4A. 

  Even this is with the solar panels. Through the solar panels, this satellite can produce energy on its own. No need to use extra fuels or no obligation to maintain additional cost. However, it is with solar panels 6.3×2.6 meters. This will operate for five years in the space.

  You know that a  spacecraft is not only sufficient. There is some extraordinary equipment even needed. There is a camera. That is to the optical observations of the orbit and analyze the outer environment. The other payloads are for the analysis of scientific data. The following are the whole list. Widefield imaging camera, full scan camera, multispectral camera, image data transmitter, MUX camera, data collection systems, the space environment monitor, and a digital recorder. Each part has a particular task assigned to them. 

  As I told above, this is similar to the CBERS 3 and CBERS 4. Thus the pieces of equipment are the same as. Mainly these spacecraft consist of a hexahedron shaped structure. And it is divided into the payload and the service module. The three axes stabilized, keeping the imager pointed towards the nadir. You know that there are an attitude and an orbit control system. That system includes gyros, GPS receiver, sensors, and a computer system. 

  Other than the above systems, there are many subsystems. Some of them are data collection systems and the space environment monitor. 

  Now I think I have to put a full stop here. But there are many details. I can’t tell them all here. Therefore I wrote a summary of that. Surely Ethiopia will do more in the future.