First satellite from Ghana, GhanaSat 1, to be launched into space

Ghana’s ambition of becoming a space-faring nation is soon to be a reality with GhanaSat 1, the country’s first satellite to be launched into space.

The satellite will first be launched to the International Space Station by Space X CRS-11 Cargo Mission and later deployed by a Japanese astronaut aboard the International Space Station.

GhanaSat 1 was designed by a trio led by Benjamin Bonsu, a PhD student in Applied Science for System Engineering, Joseph Quansah and Ernest Teye Matey of the All Nations University, Koforidua.

As part of a scholarship won by the students following the success of a similar project after their Master’s program at the university they were funded to develop the first CubeSat in a Sub Saharan university.

The students executed the project under the supervision of Professor Mengu Cho, the Director of Laboratory of Spacecraft Environment Interaction Engineering (LaSEINE) and other faculty members of Kyutech where had their PhD.

The satellite has low and high resolution cameras on board to take pictures of our homeland and provide data that can be used to monitor the coastal areas of Ghana.

JAXA safety team inspecting the flight model of GHANASAT. Looking on is Dr Donkor (3rd left), President of All Nations University College.

Aboard the satellite is a Digi-Singer SNG from which the national anthem and other independence songs can be broadcast from space,

The deployment of GhanaSat1 will be watched live at JAXA Tsukuba Space Centre in Japan by top government officials and ministers.

The launch of the satellite would also mark the commencement of a scientific exploration to enhance the building more space satellites in the future.

The project was a result of a collaboration between ANUC and the Kyutech Institute of Technology (Kyutech) in Japan which began in October 2015 and completed in December 2016.

President of the ANUC, Dr. Samuel H. Donkor speaking on the success of the project said space technologies was the future was advancement and development in every nation.

Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President, in a letter to the university lauded the efforts of the students for the pride and esteem they had brought to the nation.

Source: GhanaWeb