By Ritah Kemigisa
Government is hopeful that the country will have a well-established space agency by 2026.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja expressed optimism while launching Uganda’s first Satellite this morning.
According to Nabbanja, satellite technology is critical and key in predicting weather patterns, telemedicine and support security services.
The satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1, commenced two years ago in Japan.
According to the minister, Science, Technology and Innovation Monica Musenero ,the satellite has been designed and built by three Ugandan graduate engineers who were trained by the Japanese government under the BIRDs 5 program at the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan.
The graduate engineers include; Bonny Omara, Edgar Mujuni, and Derrick Tebusweke.
She says upon completion of their master’s program in October, the students will be equipped with among others skills to establish a space laboratory in Uganda.
Last year cabinet approved the proposal to build a satellite station in Uganda.
The satellite will play a vital role in the oil and gas operation by monitoring the East African crude oil pipeline.
This will enable accurate weather forecasts by gathering remote sensor data for predicting landslides and drought.
Once the satellite reaches orbit, a Uganda ground station will monitor its health status for a few days before it starts executing its mission.
