Janet Samuel, Abuja
Angola is set to launch will its own satellite into space which is expected to cover Africa and part of Europe.
A statement by the Press and Institutional Communication Services of the Embassy of Angola in Nigeria, Niger and Benin said the ANGOSAT-2 Satellite will have a High Data Transmission Rate (HTS), and will guarantee full coverage of the national territory and provide telecommunications services, including broadcasting and radio broadcasting.
After launch, the ANGOSAT- will be placed in geostationary orbit from the Earth’s surface with a six C-band transponders that will ensure coverage of the entire African continent and part of Europe. It also has 24 Ku-band beams covering the entire Southern African region with a useful life in orbit of 15 to 18 years.
The statement said all the technical elements for ANGOSAT-2’s in-orbit operation are already assured, namely the Satellite Control and Mission Center (MCC), located in Funda, in Luanda, Ka-band antenna for in-orbit tests, already installed.
According to the statement, “For the operation of ANGOSAT-2, around 25 specialists from GGPEN were trained and certified by the construction company.
The training was on the architecture, design and functionalities of the week platform and payload, as well as practical training on the use of operating software.”
The ANGOSAT-2 project has two MCC, one in Luanda (main) and one in Russia. Both are fully operational, equipped with equipment and operating software that ensure readiness for launch, in-orbit testing phase and subsequent operation.
The statement also said that the MCC was designed to operate uninterruptedly for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is equipped with engineering systems that make it possible to receive, process and send information to the satellite.
ANGOSAT is the name of a structuring project that includes not only the construction, launch and operation of Angolan satellites, but also the creation of national capacity in human resources and infrastructure, within the scope of the National Space Strategy 2016 – 2025.
