NASRDA unveils six quick-win projects to aid indigenous satellite design, development

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), on Wednesday, showcased six quick-win projects that could aid the design and development of indigenous satellites.

The projects, which were researched and designed by the agency’s subsidiary, Centre for Satellite Technology Development (CSTD), took six months to complete.

The projects included a Tubesat, Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), Low-Frequency Satellite Receiver, Altitude Determination and Control System for Application in Micro-Satellite and S-Band Signal Filtration for a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Ground Station.

Mr Sunday Akpan, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology, while commending the efforts of NASRDA and their engineers, noted the country was shifting from resource to a knowledge-based economy.

“I am proud that we are demonstrating the context of Executive Order 005 that dwells on developing indigenous content and there is hope for our technology strength”, Akpan said.

He assured that the government would keep supporting talents and ideas that addressed needs through local content.

Dr Halilu Shaba, Director-General of NASRDA, said the projects would generate spin-offs that could impact the common citizens, pointing out that thee projects had up to 98 per cent of its components sourced locally.

“In trying to develop these products, we try to engage in Private-Public-Partnerships to see how we can develop them.

“Unlike what we do before, going to China and some other places to source materials, we have sourced our materials locally and that has reduced a lot of capital flight. We want to export our engineering products,” he said.

The Director of CSTD, Prof. Spencer Onu, said that with the design of the satellite components, there was a serious need to establish the agency’s Assembly, Integration and Testing Laboratory (AITL), as this would facilitate ideas by their engineers towards indigenous satellite development.

He added that they were going to work with the agency’s Incubation Centre to develop and commercialise some of the projects for public use.

According to him, they have the interface with the external customers, the private sector, so they will further develop them and get them out to the public.

“Some of these projects are very useful to our tertiary institutions, secondary schools and we are working with the necessary bodies, telling them that these projects can help educate students on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)”, Onu said.

The director also said that the centre was working on other core projects that would consolidate the mandate of the agency towards designing and developing indigenous satellites.

Mr Odaudu Abraham, Head of the Project Management Office, said there was no need to wait for when the Federal Government would release the required huge funds for satellite projects.

We have to make do with the amount we are getting to design and develop some of these satellite components, he added. (NAN)