US$14 Million Ground Receiving Station to be Commissioned Soon

President Hakainde Hichilema is expected to commission the Ground Receiving Station in Chibombo district, Central Province, which has been built at a cost of US$14 million.

The Ground Receiving Station is a unit of the National Remote Sensing Center which is an institution under the Ministry of Technology and Science.

And speaking after touring the facility, Minister of Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati revealed that tests have already been conducted successfully by experts and the Station is now in full operation.

Mr. Mutati stated that the Ground Receiving Station will be crucial in helping policy makers and other experts plan for interventions in the health, agriculture, mining and other sectors.

He said the station will work in collaboration with Swedish and American partners, Copperbelt University, the University of Zambia and other stakeholders abroad, adding that President Hichilema’s focus is on using technology to advance development in the country.

“The amount of data we are already receiving from space is amazing. It is making our experts from UNZA and CBU analyse and help us make informed decisions,” Mr. Mutati stated.

Mr. Mutati also said Zambia will not focus on sending its own satellite in space but will push for access to data from countries that already have satellites in the orbit.

“Accessing data from space is crucial in finding solutions to the country’s many challenges.”
“By accessing data from space, we can know where the minerals are, we can predict the weather and know many things,” he added.

And visiting Astronaut, Christer Fuglesang said accessing data from space has potential to improve a country’s knowledge in many areas.

Professor Fuglesang, who was the first Swedish national to go to space under the European Space Agency, encouraged Zambians to study space science as it is a beneficial subject to mankind.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Swedish Embassy in Zambia Paula Engwall has pledged the country’s support to Zambia in its efforts to have a thriving space program.

“The completion of the Ground Receiving Station is a major milestone which Zambia has scored in its development agenda,” Ms. Engwall noted.

The Ground Receiving Station, which is now fully operational in Chibombo District, has already started receiving data from space and is being analyzed by experts.