ABUJA - Engr. Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, Managing Director, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) has said in Abuja, that the newly-launched replacement communication satellite (NigComSat-1R) would be delivered to Nigeria by the end of January 2012.
Ahmed-Rufai who was giving an update on the status of the satellite said Nigeria would fully take over the satellite upon the completion of series of tests to ascertain the specification and the state of the satellite.
He said that the satellite which was launched on December 19 successfully got to its final orbital position at about 11 a.m. on December 27 while the in-orbit testing began on December 28.
“The position of NigComsat-1R in the orbit is the same position of NigComSat-1 which is 42.5 degree east; this position is the Nigerian orbital position.
“From the 19th that we launched, we were able to get our orbital position,on the 27th precisely by 11 a.m., we were sitting on our orbit.
“Having acquired our position now, by 28th of December 2011 we commenced what we call in-orbit-testing and this takes a period of about a month to a month-and-half.
“To date, the result we are having is very good. It agrees exactly with what we expected and in some cases even better.
“We are going to continue with this test until the end of January and when the test is completed, the manufacturers and the insurance industry will formally deliver the satellite to NigComSat Ltd.’’
Ahmed-Rufai explained that it was only when the satellite had been delivered to NigComSat Ltd. that the in-orbit replacement of the de-orbited satellite could be said to be completed.
He said that it was based on the outcome of the test that the satellite would be delivered with known specifications performance parameters and characteristics.
He added that all the testing was going on in Nigeria as Nigerians would be the ones to fully operate and control the satellite.
He said also that there would be a period of one year within which a number of the technical partners would be on ground to further tutor and supervise the Nigerian engineers.
|
Happy New Year! My New Year resolution in 2012 is to live for others because living for others is the greatest .... 
BEING a Federal Representative in the lower Legislative Chambers of the National Assembly at a....