Luanda – Angola’s minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Media Mário de Oliveira said Thursday in Luanda that Angola has definitively taken over management of the Angosat-2 satellite.
The minister, who was speaking at a seminar to present the National Space Programme "valences and benefits," said the latest in-orbit tests of Angosat-2 "reached a successful conclusion.
He said that the Angosat-2 project is ready to provide communication services to its customers, since the acceptance tests that validate its technical/operational condition have been signed.
Mário Oliveira also said that the satellite will begin a new phase, with a view to commercial operation, in order to carry out its mission, which is to serve the national economy.
He noted that Angola's space strategy aimed to contribute to the country's socio-economic development in various areas such as the economy, health, education and the environment.
Various projects making up the National Space Programme were presented at the seminar, such as the benefits of Angosat-2, the Satellite Mission and Control Centre (MCC) and the space applications TECH-Gest, TECH-Agro and TECH-Ecology.
Angosat- 2, an Angolan communication satellite that operates in geostationary orbit, was built by the Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev (ISS Reshetnev) company.
This satellite is made up of two modules, namely the Express 1000 platform and the payload, the latter of which was the responsibility of Airbus Defence and Space.
Angosat-2, with a lifespan of 15 years, is one of the projects of the National Space Programme Management Office (GGPEN), an agency of the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Media.
GGPEN has 68 employees trained in various international universities. They are qualified to work in any space agency in the world.
