from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – ZAMBIA’S US$14 million ground receiving satellite station is now fully operational.
The government anticipates that the facility north of the capital, Lusaka, will be key in helping policy makers and other experts plan for interventions in the health, agriculture, mining and other sectors of the economy.
This comes as the Southern African country faces disasters linked to climate change.
In addition, it is to assist in exploration for minerals.
“The amount of data we are already receiving from space is amazing,” said Felix Mutati, Minister of Science and Technology.
He spoke at the weekend as he toured the station that is located in the Chibombo district.
“It is making our experts from UNZA and CBU analyse and help us make informed decisions,” Mutati said of the satellite station.
UNZA is the acronym for University of Zambia. CBU is short for Copperbelt University.
“By accessing data from space, we can know where the minerals are. We can predict the weather and know many things,” Mutati said.
Paula Engwall, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Swedish Embassy in Zambia, said her country would support Zambia in its efforts towards a thriving space programme.
“The completion of the ground receiving station is a major milestone which Zambia has scored in its development agenda,” the envoy said.
The station is a unit of the National Remote Sensing Centre, an institution under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
President Hakainde Hichilema is to officially open the station, at a date yet to be announced.
– CAJ News