Nigeria Sat X is picture perfect, already sending pictures from other parts of the world as part the world disaster constellation.

This is good news. As an environmental scientist, I am very excited about what we can learn from this information we are going to be getting especially in the area of urban planning (Lagos will be the first to benefit), agriculture and disaster monitoring. It will save lives and improve living. I am already thinking of areas for research I will pursue.

This is one of Obasanjo's good legacies and I hope history has some kind words for him on this one. If some others were this good!

Nigeria's latest Earth observation satellites have returned their first pictures.

The spacecraft, launched on 17 August, give the African nation a powerful new capability to map its own lands and other parts of the globe.

NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X will also assist the Disaster Monitoring Constellation.

This UK-managed fleet of spacecraft is used to picture regions of the Earth gripped by natural calamities.

These might be catastrophic floods or a big earthquake. Images sent down from space will often be critical to organising an effective emergency response.

The first picture released from the Nigerian pair is of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland.

It was acquired by NigeriaSat-X, and reveals the buildings and the landscape surrounding this major urban centre.

It is just possible to see the wakes of ships passing under the harbour bridge that joins downtown Auckland with North Shore City.

The satellite is equipped with a multi-spectral imager for general mapping, agricultural monitoring and disaster relief work.


Nigerian engineers built NigeriaSat-X with the help of their British counterparts
The resolution in this picture is 22m per pixel. Vegetation is picked out in red.

Both NigeriaSat-X and NigeriaSat-2 were designed and built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in Guildford, UK.

What is interesting about NigeriaSat-X is that the work was undertaken by Nigerian engineers themselves. The skills they have learnt will now be taken home so that they can build future spacecraft in their own country.

It is a model previously followed by Turkey. Its engineers received their education at SSTL as well, and the same rocket that launched the Nigerian platforms also launched Rasat.

This remote sensing satellite (7.5m resolution) is the first to have been developed and manufactured in Turkey by Turkish engineers.

SSTL Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sweeting, commented: "NigeriaSat-X is the product of Nigeria's training and development programme here at Surrey.

"It is a great credit to NASRDA (National Space Research and Development Agency) and their engineers that this satellite is performing well and its operations are progressing so quickly.

"These highly skilled engineers will not only help Nigeria to manage its resources, but also bootstrap its fledgling high-tech economy alongside a growing nucleus of highly trained people."

A first picture should be released from NigeriaSat-2 in the coming days. This is a much more powerful platform, able to resolve details on the Earth's surface just 2.5m across.

Few countries in the world have access to such a capability.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14679166

Its such a beautiful thing that Nigerian made technology is floating out there in space and functioning perfectly.

We are getting somewhere, pop sontin!

yep. Just praying the good news will soon outnumber the bad.

No doubt we should celebrate.

However, you kid only yourself when you call this "Nigerian made technology".

Beaf:

Its such a beautiful thing that Nigerian made technology is floating out there in space and functioning perfectly.

We are getting somewhere, pop sontin!

Beaf:

Its such a beautiful thing that Nigerian made technology is floating out there in space and functioning perfectly.

We are getting somewhere, pop sontin!

So you can say Jonathan is doing something, you called a bought technology Nigerian made?

God bless Russia

God Bless Russian Engineers

God Bless White people for helping us!

Guys we've got to celebrate. We are helping to keep unemployment in Russia and China low, very low.

We tha best.

Err. Pessimism is fine, I'm a pessimist too.

But did you guys miss this?

Nigerian engineers built NigeriaSat-X with the help of their British counterparts
The resolution in this picture is 22m per pixel. Vegetation is picked out in red.

Both NigeriaSat-X and NigeriaSat-2 were designed and built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in Guildford, UK.

What is interesting about NigeriaSat-X is that the work was undertaken by Nigerian engineers themselves. The skills they have learnt will now be taken home so that they can build future spacecraft in their own country.

It is a model previously followed by Turkey. Its engineers received their education at SSTL as well, and the same rocket that launched the Nigerian platforms also launched Rasat.

This remote sensing satellite (7.5m resolution) is the first to have been developed and manufactured in Turkey by Turkish engineers.

SSTL Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sweeting, commented: "NigeriaSat-X is the product of Nigeria's training and development programme here at Surrey.

"It is a great credit to NASRDA (National Space Research and Development Agency) and their engineers that this satellite is performing well and its operations are progressing so quickly.

"These highly skilled engineers will not only help Nigeria to manage its resources, but also bootstrap its fledgling high-tech economy alongside a growing nucleus of highly trained people."

I don't think it is fair to say they just bought the technology. Of course, who knows how much "help" the Nigerian engineers received. But in order to walk, first you gotta crawl.

Thank God I am an illiterate!

[size=18pt]Nigeria: Sat X and Sat 2 - We Have Been Fooled Again![/size]

Teslim Oyetunji23 August 2011

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Abraham Lincoln was famous for saying that you can fool some of the people sometimes but can't fool all the people all the time. I guess Nigeria is an exception to this centuries-old truth.

We have been fooled again. With the memory of the SAT 1 scam and its mysterious disappearance still fresh in our memories, the Nigerian government once again on August 17, 2011, announced the launch of yet another two phantom satellites, namely SAT X, allegedly built by



Nigerians; and SAT 2 said to have been built by Nigerians in partnership with some British scientists, though both were launched in Russia.

Without further ado, the crassness and the utter illogicality of this national bragging is self-evident. [size=18pt]Indeed if credit goes to anyone, it should to the Russians and the British. For indeed this project is but a testament to the success of the rapidly growing UK space industry. Here is what Britain's science minister David Willets has to say over the successful launching on Wednesday: "Not only are we producing technology and services that are in global demand but we are also helping more countries use satellite imagery to tackle important issues, including urban development and disaster relief."[/size]

Obviously, from the tenor of the above remark by Mr Willets, Nigeria is just another purchaser of a product designed and launched by the British technological space agency with the help of Russia's space launching base, a convenient training tool for the fledgling British space industry.



[size=15pt]It is beyond argument that these new SATs or whatever names they are called could not have been designed by Nigerians as boastfully asserted by Mr President, since our analogue space agency manned by a team of political experts rather than scientific experts lack the essential expertise to even produce a dummy spacecraft.[/size]

Given the venal and corrupt proclivities of our government perhaps what ordinary Nigerians should perhaps be concerned about is the stupendous amount of our national resources wasted on this white elephant project - typical of any project needing substantial amount of technical expertise.

At a time when ordinary Nigerians are cringing under the weight of crushing poverty, when they cannot afford the most mundane needs of life such as; shelter, decent meals and simple education. When most of our roads are death traps, when pregnant mothers have no access to basic healthcare delivery.

When our aged parents are begging for alms on the road because one idiot (emphasis mine) somewhere has embezzled their pension, when seventy-percent of Nigerian graduates are unemployed or under-employed, when lack of electricity has become an endemic curse to our nation, it is the height of political irresponsibility to talk about launching satellites for the development of our space technology.



According to Mr. President, this unhappy distraction is; "another milestone in our nation's effort to solve national problems through space technology"- another mile stone? Indeed, it beggars the question to ask the president what the first mile stone was, SAT 1 I suppose the ill- fated misbegotten pet disaster of OBJ, the so-called earth observation and imagery satellite {NigerianSat1] system, which was supposed to have helped in national land use and mapping and saved Nigeria about N45billion [$300m].

It is laughable that a crippling nation like Nigeria, which cannot solve its basic social and economic problems, will attempt to scale the lofty heights of space technology. Funnily enough, what most Nigerians don't know is that; the intricacies of space technology are diametrically inconsistent with their most pressing every day socio-economic needs.

Certainly, SAT X will not fight corruption, it will not repair the decay in the police service, it will not equip our universities with the badly needed funds and equipments they need. It will not get our defunct refineries to work. It will not provide basic health-care services to ordinary Nigerians; neither will it pay the long held pensions of our aged parents and veterans.


At a time when most state and federal government workers are bracing up for new rounds of strike over government refusal to pay the minimum wage salaries, it is indeed crassly insensitive for the government of President Goodluck to embark on such a prestige project. It's apposite to say that what we need dearly as a nation now is not just Good-luck but good governance, besides no practical nation survives on good luck.

Nigeria need not be concerned with purchasing wholesale space technology from developed country, but rather, it should channel its resources towards building a functional education system that would be responsible for generating the human capital needed to build a local space technology adapted to the peculiar needs of ordinary Nigerians.

We should take cue from countries like China, Iran, and Indians who have gone down the part of local space technology

http://allafrica.com/stories/201108230622.html

.

Err. Pessimism is fine, I'm a pessimist too.

But did you guys miss this?

[size=18pt]I don't think it is fair to say they just bought the technology.[/size] Of course, who knows how much "help" the Nigerian engineers received. But in order to walk, first you gotta crawl.

NL intellectuals a la baby katzs. Dont you just love 'em. You 'gats' to love their audacity to make bold proclamations on everything Nigeria. Always wrong but never humble.

The latest Earth observation satellites from UK small satellite manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) were successfully launched today at 07:12:20 UTC onboard a Dnepr rocket from Yasny in southern Russia. NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X will significantly boost African capabilities for natural resource management, as well as aid disaster relief through the Disaster Monitoring Constellation.


Science Minister David Willetts said: “The completion of this significant engineering project is testament to the success of the rapidly growing UK space industry. Not only are we producing technology and services that are in global demand but we are also helping more countries use satellite imagery to tackle important issues, including urban development and disaster relief.”

The two satellites,[size=18pt] built under contract[/size] with the Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), will provide Nigeria with the ability to enhance food security through monthly crop monitoring, assist with burgeoning urban planning demands and, through the development of engineering skills, will advance the growth of new technologies in Nigeria.

http://www.uk.amsat.org/2011/08/23/sstl-successfully-launches-two-further-earth-observation-satellites/

No wonder some our N/L intellectuals do better on reading and comprehension exams than the rest of us. Thank God I failed WAEC.

Effrontery and chutzpah perhaps, real intellect maybe not so much. Long live our intellectuals.

It says in the BBC article that Nigerian engineers were on site in this facility in the UK to build the satellite.

In other words, Nigeria didn't just buy the tech alone, but sent its engineers to help build it.

Do you dispute this claim made by the BBC article? So you are claiming that contrary to what it says and contrary to what that picture implies, there was in fact no Nigerian labor used in building the satellites?

Let me see what exactly you disagree with, lest you backtrack or hide after I begin.

ekt_bear

We all know that Nigerian Engineers did not do anything on that satellite, probably they watched sha, I have been to that space agency in Abuja and the only thing those guys do is to wait for their DG to vamoose before they all leave their offices, this is naija abeg.

So they were all flown to UK, but did absolutely nothing is your claim?

This picture is a fraud, just a photo op, no doubt?

Like I said, pessimism is fine (I'm pessimistic myself), but personally I think it unlikely that they flew engineers to the UK just to watch and do nothing.

Then again, none of us were physically there on site. So we don't know who did exactly what. Maybe you are right, that they did nothing.

This is not Fstranger's claim though. He seems to m0ronically think that "build under contract" == no Nigerian labor.

I wonder how he thinks Singapore, China and other Eastern Asian countries got their start manufacturing. Hehe.

Even Samsung today, the reason they are able to build a reasonable challenger to the iPhone is because they've done some understudying themselves. . .

ekt_bear:

It says in the BBC article that Nigerian engineers were on site in this facility in the UK to build the satellite.

In other words, Nigeria didn't just buy the tech alone, but sent its engineers to help build it.

Do you dispute this claim made by the BBC article? So you are claiming that contrary to what it says and contrary to what that picture implies, there was in fact no Nigerian labor used in building the satellites?

Let me see what exactly you disagree with, lest you backtrack or hide after I begin.

In academic institutions, one or two medical students are present for every surgery case. Does that mean that the surgery was done with the help of those medical students? Hells No, of course.

Are you saying that paralegals are to be given credit for every case won in courts by REAL LAWYERS? Hellz No

what part of  "British satellite specialists, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), signed a contract with NARSDA in 2006 for the supply of the NigeriaSat-2 Earth observation satellite, related ground infrastructure and [size=18pt]a training programme[/size] to further develop an indigenous space capability in the Federal Republic of Nigeria" do you not understand?

http://sturvs.com/300538/


We don't even have a space program in any of our universities and the Nigerians sent there all schooled in Nigeria. The truth is no Nigerian brain/intellect was involved. This is solely foreign designed and foreign operated. The Nigerians were sent to Surrey to JUST observe and run errands. Misplaced priority in my opinion. But hey, i know you disagree with my point, and I accept you are way smarter and more knowledgeable than me. You just somehow know it all.

I've never worked at a satellite company before. But I have friends who have. Even at the undergraduate level.

There is work even for college sophomores and juniors at such companies. Not to talk of college graduate engineers.

So your belief is that even the smallest tasks there, the Nigerians did not do?

This same program that has the Turks now launching their own indigenous satellite, when the Nigerians went through the same they were just twiddling their thumbs?

premechaz:

We don't even have a space program in any of our universities and the Nigerians sent there all schooled in Nigeria

Lmao. So when someone graduates from college and goes to work for Boeing, Lockheed, Viasat, etc, they studied. . . "space program" in college? I guess you mean just aerospace engineering.

No, you can study other things (mechanical, electrical, computer) and still get work.

Why don't you even just go to a jobs website and see what type of academic backgrounds they look for before pulling sh1t out of your @ss, man?

Let us even examine their own motherfucking job site:

http://www.sstl.co.uk/careers/current-vacancies

Let's look at  job 352. What background required? Mechanical or Aerospace.

Let's look at job 386. What background required? Mechanical.

job 392. Electrical.

job 392. Electrical.

Now, I am supposed to believe you, that no Nigerian labor went into it? And your m0ronic argument is that Nigeria doesn't have a space program?

This is why you are annoying as hell, man. Always sniping or talking dumb@ss sh1t, then when people call you out on it you run away.

Do you see why I don't regard the opinion of people like you who say, "Oh, you don't understand Nigeria?" Because in some ways, your own biases about Nigeria make you less equipped to perceive things than me.

I even see why Nigeria doesn't progress as a country.

Bad belle folk like you who seem to simultaneously hate the Western world, but also hate Nigeria.

In all of these things, I think what you really hate is yourself. Deep personal insecurity and loathing. Get a shrink if you need to, they'll sort out your mental problems. Or better yet, go get some fvcking pvssy (rather than following my balls around everywhere on NL.)

ekt

If those Nigerians were trained in Nigerian universities, there is no way in hell they participated, have you gone through the curriculum of our schools? The space guys in Nigeria are poiticians, they do not take the job seriously jare.

^-- None of the above was directed at you, BTW. But instead to this c0cksucking fagg0t Fstranger.

Even look at the jobs posted on their site: http://www.sstl.co.uk/careers/current-vacancies

Does a single one of them require your nation to have an aerospace program to do? I've clicked a few of them, but not all of them.

Anyway you may be right, maybe really the Nigerians did absolutely nothing. But given the data we have available to us at this point, there is really no evidence for it.

hercules07:

ekt

If those Nigerians were trained in Nigerian universities, there is no way in hell they participated, have you gone through the curriculum of our schools? The space guys in Nigeria are poiticians, they do not take the job seriously jare.

My brother, I have met some students trained directly from Nigerian universities in engineering. I met a middle belter two weeks ago who went to ABU for undergraduate, and is doing his MS not too far from where I live. If I remember correctly, he did his internship this past summer at an excellent, fairly famous tech company.

If you are claiming that none of them are qualified for any of those positions posted on that site, I will simply say that you are mistaken. You are flat out wrong, or interacting with the wrong Nigerian graduates.

lala land!

uncalled for!

premechaz:

ROFLMAO


I was the first to get here, yet it is me who is following you.

You quoted me first, not the other way round.

Bolded is false. Regarding the former. . . should I really dig up posts even just from this weekend? Anyone who doubts me can check Fstranger's posting history.

If you cant beat them, ATTACK their person. Now I am your enemy. You now treat me the way you treat Kobo. There is a pattern here obvious to the rest of us, except you, Mr. I know it all. I know, it is not your fault. It is my fault just as it is Kobo's fault. The world against you. I and Kobo need  to see a shrink, but you are perfectly sane and alright.

Anyway, thanks for playing!

Next. lol

You aren't worth it. Honestly, you really aren't. Which is why I don't pay you any attention, unless you decide to draw my attention to yourself.

Anyway, wonderful how you quoted this rather than responding to your stvpid and moronic points about an aerospace program being a necessary ingredient for contributing to that particular project.

Hehe.

Look how this f00l brings up anything but the points being made. Shout out to KoboJunkie. Shout out to "Mr Yoruba."

No commentary on his stupid notion that a space program is required to contribute to launching a satellite, though?

Go fvck yourself, seriously. It isn't by force you interact with me on this site. Go play with someone else, heh.

You aren't worth it. Honestly, you really aren't. Which is why I don't pay you any attention, unless you decide to draw my attention to yourself.

Awwwwwwww. Fstranger CRYING.

[size=18pt]ROFLMAO![/size]

My questions are simple.
What are the names of the NASDRA boss and those of the top leadership of NASDRA, and what are their qualifications or accomplishments before being appointed to NASDRA positions?

What are the names of the Nigerian scientists who designed the Nigeria Sat X, and what are their qualifications and backgrounds?

Once you answer these questions, you will come face to face with the truth.

Don't be surprised to see a "Alhaji" this or "Mallam" that as the so called scientists.
Only in Nigeria would you find a mallam scientist.

Selective quoting again. Do you come up with anything original? Can you come up with anything original? Even rather than arguing your points, you quote and highlight articles to argue on your behalf. Notice how even the articles you linked to don't contradict the main point.

You stupidly thought that contracting out the satellite job implies that no Nigerian labor was used.

You for some insane reason thought a space program is required to contribute anything to the satellite.

Hehe.

Seriously, time for me to keep it moving. At least @hercules07 offers up something interesting. I'd rather limit my interactions on this thread to him.

not worth it

not worth it.

Let me just emphasize again that this is why I don't rate what most Nigerians say about Nigeria very much. Most of them, despite having lived in the country for all their lives barely know anything more about it than I do. It would be listening to some random American redneck to gain deep understanding of American society.

@hercules07, at the very least is legitimately an engineer, works in his industry, and has visited this head office in Abuja. So his contribution at least has some value.

Fstranger on the other hand. . . just another blustering idi0t. No engineering background, has never worked in the industry before, didn't even realize that there is more to building a satellite than aerospace engineers. Posts some irrelevant nonsense as evidence of his point.

I can dig up engineering undergrads from the Mech and EE department from University of frikking Maryland and have them fill some critical positions at this company. Yet according to Fstranger, in all of Nigeria, we cannot find anyone. Because of the lack of a space program!  

Jesu Kristi.

premechaz:

WRT coming up with something original, NEVER. That is beyond me. So beyond me. Things only people like you can do. Who am I? I am no American. I am Nigerian, with some securities issue and seex starved and crazy and un-original.

Again, You are tha bestestestesteste Mr. Ekt_Bear.


You rock, I suck balls!

Hehe. Sarcasm to cover up errors and mistakes in reasoning?

Will you kindly explain to us how those open positions at the company require a space program before they can be filled?

Or will you dance past this indefinitely?

premechaz:

I agree with you. I am wrong. You are right. So let it go. Its no big deal. I am stupidd and I am a nobody. I am distraught though  that I am no longer your friend here. I come here posting day and night, trying to act intelligent, wanting to win politics poster of the year, trying to act all smooth, muscular and good looking and here I am losing you, the one and most important person in my life. I am heart-broken and in shock.

Anyway, we meet to part. I will be fine though. And GL winning poster of the year again, I will be voting for you nevertheless.

God bless Ekt_Bear. The greatest Yoruba man in history!

LMAO

So is this the heart of the matter? You think for me NL is something to show off? An ego massage? Rather than just entertainment for me? Something I do in between other stuff? 

That isn't the case, whether you believe it or not. And if so, easy way to fix it is just to ignore me. If you don't like my style of posting or anything about what I do here. . . just ignore. Simple as that.

not worth it!