The Minister for science, Technology, and Innovation Dr Monica Musenero has confirmed the rescheduled launch of PearlAfricaSat-1 satelite from Sunday 6th to Monday, 7th November 2022, following a fire alarm that was reported in the Northrop Grumman mission control building.
Musenero said the satellite was supposed to be transported aboard the 18th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply service mission to the International space station.
“Before the launch, a fire alarm was reported in the Northrop Grumman mission control building. Therefore, the launch is rescheduled for Monday, 1.27pm EAT,” she said.
PearlAfricaSat-1 will be launched to the international space station, and will subsequently be deployed into low earth orbit in December 2022.
The satelite comes at a crucial time when Uganda’s Oil and Gas Industry needs a reliable mechanism for its resource planning as well as an impact assessment tool to successfully harness Uganda’s oil deposits.
” The satelite will play a vital role in planning, resource management and environmental impact assessment in Uganda’s Oil and Gas Industry,” says adds.
It has a multisectoral camera that will provide research and observation high- resolution image data, support weather forecasting, land, water, mineral mapping, agriculture, monitoring, border security and disaster prevention.