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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 30 (Reporter Chen Cong) The Egyptian satellite MISRSAT-2 is a high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite. It is currently operating in an orbit more than 600 kilometers above the ground, providing Egypt with resource surveys, environmental disaster monitoring and assessment, urban planning, and agricultural and forestry crop growth assessment services.
The Misda-2 satellite was launched from China in December 2023 and was assembled and tested at the Chinese-aided Egyptian AIT (Assembly, Integration and Test) Center, making Egypt the first African country to have complete satellite AIT capabilities.
China-Egypt space cooperation is a successful example of China-Africa space cooperation, and has made remarkable progress in satellite exports, resource sharing, space technology exchanges, and space infrastructure construction.
China has developed and launched a number of satellites for African countries, including two communications satellites for Nigeria in 2007 and 2011, a communications satellite for Algeria in 2017, a cube satellite for Ethiopia in 2019, a scientific experiment satellite for Sudan in 2019, and the MISRSAT-2 satellite for Egypt in 2023.
In 2017, China launched Algeria’s first communications satellite, Algeria-1, which currently supports radio, television, broadband access, mobile and emergency communications. The satellite is so significant that its image is printed on the Algerian 500 dinar banknote, becoming a symbol of national pride.
According to the “Dakar Action Plan of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (2022-2024)” adopted at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Dakar, Senegal in November 2021, China and Africa will actively promote the establishment of a China-Africa Space Cooperation Sub-Forum under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
The two sides will focus on supporting satellite remote sensing, communication satellite and other projects to drive the development of the space industry in African countries.
Enriching people’s lives
A network of satellites and ground stations across the African continent has boosted the space industry and greatly improved the lives of local people.
For example, the Beidou satellite navigation system has been widely used in agriculture, urban planning, infrastructure construction and transportation services in Africa.
The first China-Africa Beidou Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing in November 2021, and the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as Beidou, 5G, and smart city construction.
In Xai-Xai, Gaza Province, southern Mozambique, local farmers use Beidou drones to survey fields, sow seeds, and spray pesticides. Unlike manual spraying, which can only spray three or four acres of land per hour, drones can spray hundreds of acres of land at the same time and can operate at night.
“The ‘Beidou + UAV’ precision agriculture model is a beneficial attempt at agricultural technology cooperation between China and Mozambique. Chinese agricultural technology has made important contributions to Mozambique’s food security,” said Danilo Latifo, director of the Gaza Provincial Department of Agriculture.
In Burkina Faso, a hospital built with assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic used Beidou’s high-precision services for construction surveying and mapping, completing the measurement in just 6 days, more than cutting the construction time in half.
Empowering local talent
In addition to providing aerospace products and services, China also helps Africa cultivate talent and lay a solid foundation for Africa’s future aerospace industry.
In early August, a training course held in China welcomed 36 young technical and management professionals from developing countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia and Rwanda, who learned about information and communication technology, satellite Internet, quality management and system engineering in the aerospace industry.
The conference was hosted by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
“Recently, China and Egypt are carrying out cooperation projects related to the Chang’e-7 mission. It is very meaningful to learn something here,” said Hima Sultan, a satellite payload test engineer at the Egyptian Space Agency and one of the trainees.
China and Africa are also working together to popularize space knowledge among young people and help Africa embrace the future of space industry.
On September 6, 2022, a live broadcast course “Dialogue with Astronauts” was held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Students from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa and other countries participated in the dialogue at the branch venue.
The three Chinese Shenzhou XIV astronauts, Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, shared their Shenzhou XIV flight experience with young people from African countries via video link.
According to the Chinese delegation to the African Union, since 2014, China has provided graduate scholarships to eight African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Togo, Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sudan, for students to study remote sensing and geographic information systems, satellite communications and navigation, and small satellite technology.
China also carries out cooperation and exchange activities in space science and technology innovation with universities and research institutions in Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Morocco and other countries.
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