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.

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14679166

I know many people will disagree with me but I think this is a job well done. Our space program is one of the few things I give Obasanjo credit for initiating and all subsequent governments for continuing.

I don't get it, how come the first picture released was that of New Zealand? why not Lagos or Abuja?

Please don't allow Becomerich to find out about such capabilities now. His mapology will only grow exponentially

I just kept staring at the image, it is so crisp and beautiful. In the midst of chaos a phoenix is rising.
3 big gboza for 9ja!!!!

www.nairaland.com/attachments/515872_Nigeria_SAT_X_image_jpg660c74047b6a7c037d57474dc2c3eaf4

you can see it is the satellite pictures. the north is in serious trouble. remove edo,delta and yorubas.

OK. Can they use it to wipe out Boko Haram right from there?

Great job! You don't wait for a particular technology to happen before engaging in others!First time I admire something as tech coming out of Nigeria!

This is a misplaced priority. U have citizens that needs financial empowerment and money is spent on frivolities. Every civilized country empowers its citizens first cos thats where true development starts. Schools are in delapitating state, Power is a perennial problem, no proper medical facility and here the Govt. spends hard earned Tax payers money and Natural (unreplaceable) resources revenue to do what doesnt improve the GDP, how stupid. All other coumtries that do this already have a sound economy first and the citizens are well taken cared of before anyother thing. they just keep wasting money,

^^^^
LET ME CLEAR MY THROAT! You are entitled to your opinions!

What exactly are these satellite pictures supposed to accomplish? How does this move Nigeria forward besides providing yet another white elephant project the politicians can use to launder money?

When Nigeria Splits in 2015 who will retain ownership of this satellite? Arewa federation, Republic of Biafra, Oodua republic, Niger delta Confederation?

@ igbo boy, will you be the one to separate Nigeria? Don't be enemy of progress, Nigeria is one of the strongest country in the world,
Despite all that has and is happening the country still stands firm so don't think the US predictions will ever come to existence,
Nigeria is a great country filled with great people, the most populous black nation in the world no country in the world can change that fact,

If this so called satellite has the capabilities to wipe away Boko Haram and prevent further terrorist attacks on Nigerian soil, then kudos to the geniuses who launched it.

But if neither of the above, then they should be flogged instead!

Can't this help with solving crimes and preventing them?

deluxecad:

Can't this help with solving crimes and preventing them?

At best it will increase our recurrent expenditure to pay those workign at NIGCOMSAT and NARSDA. but really what are our Emergency Response agencies doing with these capabilities, how will they leverage this information to preparing a better response during natural disasters?

JosBoy4Lif:

Please don't allow Becomerich to find out about such capabilities now. His mapology will only grow exponentially

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

cicero:

I don't get it, how come the first picture released was that of New Zealand? why not Lagos or Abuja?

Yea, not sure. is it really our satelite or did we get conned into paying for it? Lol.
Hope it roams an axis that will let it take pics of nigeria too (among other things) otherwise its no use.

mr.official:

OK. Can they use it to wipe out Boko Haram right from there?

lol.

is this what we need in this country now? NO. how will the masses benefit from this, it just a waste or misappropriation of public fund.

Well done my great country

^^^^
Huh!

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.


first assignment auckland, wonder what the next assignment will be

new zealand?

mmhh, sounds great but im yet to see the benefit!

Toaskarity:

mmhh, sounds great but im yet to see the benefit! for nigeria

gbammmm

Please fellow NLers, if you don't know what the benefits of a satellite are then DO NOT POST. You are making the country sound like the population loves to live in the stone age. Its always best to sit back in silence and learn when a topic is out of your realm; its called wisdom.

The economic and technological benefits of satellite technology are immeasurable, but it seems almost a waste of time opening a discussion about such when the most vocal here cannot even fathom what a satellite does.

Beaf:

Please fellow NLers, if you don't know what the benefits of a satellite are then DO NOT POST. You are making the country sound like the population loves to live in the stone age. Its always best to sit back in silence and learn when a topic is out of your realm; its called wisdom.

The economic and technological benefits of satellite technology are immeasurable, but it seems almost a waste of time opening a discussion about such when the most vocal here cannot even fathom what a satellite does.

please Beaf tell us the benefit of this particular satalite we launched. I respect Jonathan and Obj for this but I want to know the benefit thanks

Nigeria successfully paid for a Chinese satellite lunched in Russia. Command centre based in UK as a result of poor electricity supply in Nigeria and the first photographs from the Satellite is a view of Auckland, New Zealand! Epic! Only in Nigeria can such LANDMARK success be celebrated! - Kayode Ogundamisi

cold:

Nigeria successfully paid for a Chinese satellite lunched in Russia. Command centre based in UK as a result of poor electricity supply in Nigeria and the first photographs from the Satellite is a view of Auckland, New Zealand! Epic! Only in Nigeria can such LANDMARK success be celebrated! - Kayode Ogundamisi

Lol, I concur!

cold:

Nigeria successfully paid for a Chinese satellite lunched in Russia. Command centre based in UK as a result of poor electricity supply in Nigeria and the first photographs from the Satellite is a view of Auckland, New Zealand! Epic! Only in Nigeria can such LANDMARK success be celebrated! - Kayode Ogundamisi

It can take pictures of other countries, because it is not in geostationary orbit (hanging in space over Nigeria). What further proof do you need that Nigeria can now monitor events in other nations? Lol! Such things help if you are developing and need to steal technology.

Is that what we need? Sheer misplacement of priorities.