President Sahle-Work Zewde has announced that Ethiopia’s first-ever satellite will be launched into space this year with support from the Chinese government.
The first Ethiopian satellite will be launched in December 2019 from a center in China, said Zewde.
Ethiopia is developing the 70kg Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite, known as ETRSS-1, with support from the Chinese government.
Zewde said her government envisages that the satellite would help the East African country’s efforts to modernize its agricultural sector.
The satellite will provide all the necessary data on changes in climate and weather-related phenomena.
It will be utilized for the country’s key targets in agriculture, forestry as well as natural resources protection initiatives.