Country Returns to Space With Nigcomsat-1R Launch

Vanguard

20 December 2011

Country Returns to Space With Nigcomsat-1R Launch

Nigeria once again went up into space, yesterday, at exactly 5.40pm as NigComSat-1R, Nigeria's replacement communications satellite, was successfully launched into orbit.

NIGCOMSAT-1R is the replacement for NigComSat-1, which was de-orbited due to malfunction of Solar Array Deployment Assembly, SADA, on November 10, 2008.

Meanwhile, an excited President Goodluck Jonathan has described the launch as another great step forward for the country towards the development of a modern, knowledge-driven society.

In his congratulatory message to the nation for a successful communications satellite launch, Jonathan said Nigeria had kept up with the time-frame of activities contained in the country's 25-year

National Space Development Road

-map.