Angola on Monday confirmed the premature death of its first national telecoms satellite, Angosat-1, and says work is already underway to build a new and more sophisticated one.
The Russian-made Angosat-1 was launched in December and was expected to have a working life of 15 years. However scientists say Angosat struggled with repeated setbacks soon after its launch.
Engineers lost contact with the satellite shortly after entering space. They never re-established despite many attempts.
“The satellite remained in orbit from December 26 to 30. After that we had a problem,” Igor Frolov, a representative of manufacturer Energia RSC, said at a press conference in Luanda.
Angolan Telecommunications Minister Jose Carvalho da Rocha immediately announced that the satellite would be replaced by a successor, Angosat-2, under a new agreement with Russia.
“Building will begin tomorrow at no cost to Angola… it will have more capacity and be more sophisticated than its predecessor,” da Rocha said, adding it would be finished in 18 months.
The Angosat project was founded by Russia and Angola in 2009 and includes a control centre in a suburb of the Angolan capital Luanda.
Angola hoped to use the satellite to improve communication, internet access and radio and television broadcasting across Africa.
