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Djibouti launches its first-ever satellite

The Republic of Djibouti successfully launched its inaugural satellite, Djibouti 1A, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base as part of the SpaceX Transporter-9 dedicated SSO rideshare mission in France. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Abdirahman Khalif | 12 Nov 2023

The nanosatellite will enable Djibouti to acquire real-time data from climatological and seismic stations across the entire country, including temperature, rainfall and river depths.

Djibouti successfully launched its inaugural satellite, Djibouti 1A, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base as part of the SpaceX Transporter-9 dedicated SSO rideshare mission on Saturday.

The achievement stems from a collaborative capacity-building initiative between Djibouti and its technical partner, the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM).

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Djibouti engineers and technicians, living in France, actively participated in the satellite's design, construction, and testing phases.

The collaborative effort reached a significant milestone in March when the satellite successfully underwent vibration tests at a joint CSUM/Latecoere facility in France.

The outcomes demonstrated full compliance with the specified launch parameters in terms of test levels and duration.

Student empowerment

The Djibouti Minister of Higher Education and Research, Mr Nabil Mohamed, conveyed these developments in a statement, underscoring the country's dedication to advancing its space capabilities through international collaboration and technological expertise.

"To ensure success in this project, we took several important steps. Initially, we carefully selected Djibouti students because our goal was not just to buy a satellite but to empower our students to create one. This decision was aimed to showcase Djibouti's capability in satellite manufacturing and launch," he said.

"Through this initiative, we wanted to demonstrate that Djibouti can independently contribute to climate research and development. As a result, we successfully trained 10 technicians and engineers. A skilled team collaborated with various companies involved in every aspect of satellite design, manufacturing, and launch. Their efforts also contributed to enhancing the satellite's software capabilities."

The nanosatellite will enable Djibouti to acquire real-time data from climatological and seismic stations across the entire country, including temperature, rainfall, river depth, and hydrometry.

This innovative technology provides policymakers with high-definition spectral information, empowering them to improve agricultural practices and effectively monitor environmental changes on a national scale.