tdayof:
Seems it's time for Nano satellites.
Dr Felix Ale, Head, Media and Corporate Communication, NASRDA made this known in a statement in Abuja on Friday .

Nano-satellites or Nano-sats are miniaturised satellites of low mass and size for gathering scientific data and to provide more comprehensive space coverage at much lower cost.

Ale said that the satellites were being proposed for launch into the orbit in May 2017 for various applications.

Ale said that the multinational satellite project known as “Bird Project“ was introduced in 2015 by the Japanese government and implemented through the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan for developing countries.

He said that the project was designed to enhance space-related capacity building and human resource development.
Ale said that NASRDA in collaboration with the Federal University of Technology, Akure participated in the design and manufacture of the satellites billed to operate through seven ground stations across the world.

“The Nano-satellites will be launched into orbit aboard space X Rocket.

“It will be released from the International Space Station with an orbital parameter of altitude of 460km and inclination of 15.6,“ Ale said.

He said that the satellites were expected to attain six missions after its successful launch, adding that three of the missions would be planned on board.

He also revealed that the other three missions would be accomplished in the ground stations of the participating countries.

According to Ale, the other three on-board missions will consist of the taking photographs of homeland of participating countries using the on-board cameras of 0.3mp and 5mp.

Other on-board mission includes the Dig-singer mission that entails exchange of song from the Nano Satellites to Ham radio receivers (UHF band) and measurement of single-event –latch up in orbit, according to him.

He said that the project would aid the successful and regular download of images from the five satellites, while the project was also a model for achieving satellites projects with low cost and size.

He said that the project was an innovation and excellent research model for NASRDA, adding that the its completion would further assist the agency to strengthen its collaboration on research with Nigerian universities.

Ale said that three Nigerians had also benefited from capacity development from the project by receiving a Doctorate Degrees (Ph.Ds) in Space Science and Technology.

ssaengine:


Now someone on the continent must be the first to develop launch capabilities for us all.

GreenandGold:


South Africa has the know-how, remember those RSA-3/4 rockets? Also it is alleged Elon Musk gave South Africa some rocket blueprints some years ago.

However reviving it would take plenty of money from the Science and Technology Department and starve other science projects which is not a good idea.

Henry240:


Including South-Africa.

The Apache, MI-28 and MI-35m are currently the most advanced Attack Helicopters in Africa.

I think the Algerian MI-28 with dual controls is the most advanced AH in Africa.

jln115:

[s]Been away for a bit hence my late reply.....firstly you said south of the sahara hence the mi28 and apache are irrelevant to this debate.....but that being said the Rooivalk beats any AH in the world in raw preformance....couple that with the makopa,FZ 70mm guided rockets and even the a-darter you get a package thats at least in the top 4 AHs in the world and way beyond any mi35 variant flown by any sub saharan country[/s].

giles14:
hmmm
thought they were going for Mig35

Henry240:


Go to bed.

ssaengine:
https://www.brandsouthafrica.com/investments-immigration/science-technology/milestone-south-african-satellite-technology.


"The South African satellite industry is taking a giant leap as a global aerospace player, with the inclusion of two locally developed nanosatellites on the Atlas V rocket, launched on 18 April 2017.It included a payload of 28 nanosatellites from 23 countries destined for the International Space Station (ISS).
...
Included among the 28 are two South African developed nanosatellites: nSight1, designed and manufactured by Cape Town group SCS Space, a member of the SCS Aerospace Group, and ZA-Aerosat, designed and manufactured by CubeSpace of Stellenbosch University. 
...

Both nSight1 and ZA-Aerosat are no bigger than shoeboxes, yet contain some of the world’s most advanced technology.The two South African satellites will be used to record factors in the Earth’s lower thermosphere, between 200km and 380km altitude."

jln115:

Been away for a bit hence my late reply.....firstly you said south of the sahara hence the mi28 and apache are irrelevant to this debate.....but that being said the Rooivalk beats any AH in the world in raw preformance....couple that with the makopa,FZ 70mm guided rockets and even the a-darter you get a package thats at least in the top 4 AHs in the world and way beyond any mi35 variant flown by any sub saharan country.

ssaengine:


Now someone on the continent must be the first to develop launch capabilities for us all.

GreenandGold:


South Africa has the know-how, remember those RSA-3/4 rockets? Also it is alleged Elon Musk gave South Africa some rocket blueprints some years ago.

However reviving it would take plenty of money from the Science and Technology Department and starve other science projects which is not a good idea.

frumentius:

The CSIR geniuses (genii, if you insist) I'm stuck with here in PSJ (nerds, according to GreenandGold) tell me that apart from ZA-Aerosat, their colleagues are working on a bigger satellite project with the EU, QB50.
Cube sats are low hanging fruit for the SANDF, IMO. Watch this space.

frumentius:

The CSIR geniuses (genii, if you insist) I'm stuck with here in PSJ (nerds, according to GreenandGold) tell me that apart from ZA-Aerosat, their colleagues are working on a bigger satellite project with the EU, QB50.
Cube sats are low hanging fruit for the SANDF, IMO. Watch this space.

chkil0:


nigeria dont think the big fish will let them develop such capability . so i see only south africa thatcan develop this kind of program without having politics problems

ssaengine:


I've heard similar, but watered down version via Spaceteq guys. So 7th or 8th "hand" news. There is a disconnect between Gauteng and Western Cape.

ssaengine:


Confession...i want to go work at CSIR one day, but would most likely involve salary cut . Another 2 or 3 years, then C.V looks good enough to start negotiating.

chkil0:


i think the only country according to geopolitics in africa that can do that is south africa , developing satellite launch capabilities means the possibility of developing balistic missile capacity , for north africa coutries (near NATO middle east ) they will get more problems than benifice . nigeria dont think the big fish will let them develop such capability . so i see only south africa thatcan develop this kind of program without having politics problems

chkil0:


i think the only country according to geopolitics in africa that can do that is south africa...so i see only south africa thatcan develop this kind of program without having politics problems

frumentius:


I'll like to see a Meltdown from the usual suspect in 3...2...1...

Henry240:


For Nigeria, the plan is to launch satellites from the country within the next 10 years. Scientists at Nigeria's space center have been experimenting with propulsion technology for some time now.

The guy who visited stands at Nigeria's just concluded Science and Technology Expo confirms that he saw models of locally made sattelite rocket launcher.

We would have to wait and see, however the Nigerian plan is to build and launch from Nigeria.

Henry240:


Go to bed.

ssaengine:


Now someone on the continent must be the first to develop launch capabilities for us all.

Henry240:


For Nigeria, the plan is to launch satellites from the country within the next 10 years. Scientists at Nigeria's space center have been experimenting with propulsion technology for some time now.

The guy who visited stands at Nigeria's just concluded Science and Technology Expo confirms that he saw models of locally made sattelite rocket launcher.

We would have to wait and see, however the Nigerian plan is to build and launch from Nigeria.

chkil0:


i think the only country according to geopolitics in africa that can do that is south africa , developing satellite launch capabilities means the possibility of developing balistic missile capacity , for north africa coutries (near NATO middle east ) they will get more problems than benifice . nigeria dont think the big fish will let them develop such capability . so i see only south africa thatcan develop this kind of program without having politics problems

Henry240:
Nigerian COIN
Battlefield images

chkil0:


i think the only country according to geopolitics in africa that can do that is south africa , developing satellite launch capabilities means the possibility of developing balistic missile capacity , for north africa coutries (near NATO middle east ) they will get more problems than benifice . nigeria dont think the big fish will let them develop such capability . so i see only south africa thatcan develop this kind of program without having politics problems

Henry240:
New camouflage pattern for the DICON bulletproof vest.

Nigerian Army

lexykeyz:


Please you guys should stop the notion we are surrounded by weak airforces. Those same countries give other "powerful" countries the liberty to use their bases in storing quality aircrafts. What should stop them from using it against us. Like some one always says "We are not friends we just have mutual interests". When such "mutual" interests dies why should we be friends happens even in our day to day activities.We should look beyond us having weaker neighbours to having foreign influence with superior air capabilities. #ONWARDTOGETHER