15 November 2008
Lagos — Nigeria's multi-billion naira communications satellite is spinning out of control just 18 months after its launch and has commenced its descent to earth, the Voice of America reported last night.
The Chinese built Nigerian Communication Satellite 1 (NigComSat) which was built at the cost of N40 billion, was expected to provide broadband Internet and communications services for government agencies and the private sector.
But the management of NigComSat had allayed fears early in the week over the satellite saying the situation is under control and that it was only experiencing power problems which had developed from a faulty solar panel.
But critics have called the device a white elephant project that was hurriedly executed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo .
The VOA quotes Paul Ceruzzi who is curator of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum as saying "(The) satellite, once it is placed in orbit, has to be managed so that it points in the right direction, just like driving a car down the road.
"The antennas have to point to the ground, the solar panels have to point to the sun and they (must) have fuel on board (that) powers tiny rockets that do that or other means of stabilizing it.
"But sometimes they run out of fuel or the Sat system breaks down. Then it stays there in orbit and begins to tumble, if it loses contact with the solar panels or (they are) no longer pointing at the sun, then it losses electrical power.
"If the antennas are no longer pointing at the ground, then there is no way to communicate with it. So it becomes some kind of dangerous piece of junk flying at 17,000 miles an hour; it can be a serious problem."
Ceruzzi said it is unusual for new satellites to fail. "In the early days of the space programme things like that happened a lot.
"But over the years they have gotten more reliable. But it does happen. It has happened from time to time and the other issue of course is that all satellites, eventually run out of fuel and they potentially can have the same fate unless people do things to actively manage them for that day. But for something to fail so soon after launch is rare today but it does happen."
Ceruzzi said it is difficult to have an advance warning of the precise location where a satellite might come down.
Scientists may have such a warning "only in the few hours or so before it actually comes down. It could stay up there for months or years even and then atmospheric drag will slowly bring it out of orbit. And then, only at the very last moment, do you really know where it is going to hit."
THISDAY, last Wednesday reported that the satellite was missing from orbit and that activities manned by the satellite would grind to a halt.
Concerns have also been raised that the huge amount spent by the Nigerian government might be lost except the technical problem, which is believed to be significant, is resolved.
The satellite was said to have started experiencing technical hitches for a while prior to this latest displacement largely due to the fact that it was said to be using a technological standard not meant for Africa but for Asia.
The contract for the NigComSat project was signed on December 15, 2004 in Abuja between China Great Wall Industry Corporation and the National Space Research and Development Agency and was said to have cost the Federal Government over N40 billion. China was awarded the deal after it outbid 21 other international rivals.
The satellite fiasco has made Nigeria the butt of jokes with the BBC in a report on its website describing the operation of the satellite as a debacle and a white elephant in space.
The issue is said to have made the country, currently battling with infrastructure problems such as power, a laughing stock, with emails saying Nigeria has "exported its electricity generation problems to space" being circulated.
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Why on earth would Nigeria even have faith in chinese Technology? If you're going to spend that much money on Technology, why not look to the U.S. or Canada for that. Poor judgement, please. People that know these things, know them.
I think the chinese company that was contracted to build the satelite and who ever gave and signed out the contract should be held responsible for this shameful crime to the nation of Nigeria. That is big money invested for the project.Satelites lasts for a long time . Why is it Nigeria's satelite that has not produced anything for the country should die and be rolling towards the earth after 11/2 yrs.Something is not right here. Either they used inferior materials which I am sure they did and they split the rest of the monies within themselves including the former… [Read Full Text]
THIS IS NO JOKE TO THIS BLACK AMERICAN!!! UNCLE TONY WHITESIDE WE WILL FINANCE 70 PERCENT OF THE NEXT SATELLITE. NOT OPEN TO BIDS, WILL BE BUILT BY USA. HOW MANY THINGS CHINA BUILT THAT DID WORK??
WWW.WATCOINC.NET watcoinc@msn.com
Time has come for Nigeria government to open their EYES and think of good things How can they award a contract of such amouth of Money to a chinese company Is OBJ belind? They are better countries in the world countries like Germany, USA, Canada, etc that can build that sat, If not for the selffish intrest they have on their own they dont think of their people who will benefit from the project is very bad for Nigeria Leaders to be so...so selffish Now Nigeria is a laughing stock on the media Even here in malaysia saying is… [Read Full Text]
Ha ha ha ha ha OBJ, lol I knew his evil acts are yet to come out, gradually, one after the other, they will all come out, who else in this open eye world will award a Chinese establishment such contract with such huge amount of money, if not for his own share, mmmh and Nig. so called new government will not look into all this, he is too much to be probed!!! May God help us, may that thing never fall on poor Nigerians.
somebody must be held accountable. they should refund the money. nigeria/ns, wake up. i am as usual, CAPITAL G.C.
nigeria should spend more money on roads and other infrastucture, instead of communication satellites.
It may be far cheaper in the future to buy lease of th exixting satellites from other countries. ARE NIGERIANS TERMINALLY NUTS!!!!!!!!!!, WHY DO WE NIGERIANS NEED TO HAVE A STATELLITE OF OUR OWN-
Those Nigerians are cleaver to build their own satellite nd rockets to propel it into the heavens.I belieive that they dealt with the wrong group of people the chinese who are just as raskol as the nigerians themselves.Inspite all of that my favorite people on this earth are the nigerians Perry Fisher,MD