Nigerian Satellite Blasts Into Orbit

[spinbaby]

LAGOS, Nigeria - A Nigerian satellite blasted into orbit Saturday aboard a Russian rocket, propelling one of the poorest nations on earth into space for the first time.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030927/ap_on_sc/nigeria_space_age

[oneighty]

1. Hmmm

Did they clear that with congress?

180

[haele]

2. So that's why I was getting all that Nigerian spam for the last few years

They were funding a space program. (Okay, that's a bit sarcastic...)

Good for them! I'm hoping it helps their economy out.

Haele

[Sufi Marmot]

3. Why the hell is Nigeria spending money on satellites...?

On Earth, Nigeria is struggling to provide 132 million citizens with clean water, basic health services and education. Most villages outside state capitals have no running water or electricity, 70 percent of the country's roads are dirt tracks, and over 30 percent of the population is illiterate. Per capita income is about $290, and less than one percent have telephones, according to the World Bank

I mean, the stuff the article said the satellite would be used for (environmental monitoring, etc.) sounded reasonable, but is that really Nigeria's biggest priority right now? Why can't they get the same data from NASA or the EU and spend the money on more urgent needs? :shrug:

[Gore1FL]

4. Well you know ----

all that influx of cash from selling Saddam yellow cake.....

[Sufi Marmot]

5. The alleged yellow cake was from Niger, not Nigeria

I'm not sure what genative of Niger is - Nigeran?

[htuttle]

7. I looked it up back when the yellow cake story broke

People from Niger are 'Nigerois'.

[American Renaissance]

6. Prestige

why does Brazil spend billions to support an Aerospace industry?

why does India spend billions to support universities for people who flee the country 15 minutes after walking off the stage.

It's all about prestige,

An Australian journalist asked a Brazilian business leader about what it was like to run a business in a developing country, the Brazilian answered "excuse me? last time I checked Australia doesn't control 20% of the world jet market"

It's to give the country something to be proud of,

[Sufi Marmot]

8. That's what the Olympics and World Cup are for...

...so that developing nations like Nigeria can have something to be proud about. Pride doesn't feed many people or provide much medical care or educate anyone, though...

-SM

[Padraig18]

9. Amazing!

In the same week that a woman was repreived from being stoned to death for adultery, the very same country enters the space age. :eyes:

[Ivory_Tower]

10. Mixed feelings on this one

While I don't believe that space access should only be limited to countries like the U.S. and Russia, I think that the Nigerian government should be doing a little more to help its own citizens -- take care of the basics, THEN reach for the stars.

But one of my first thoughts on reading that the satellite cost $13 million was "Damn, that's pretty cheap for a satellite". One of the uses for the sat, according to the article, is to monitor their oil pipelines since hundreds of thousands of barrels are stolen each day. If they can stop the theft, I wonder if they'll realize a decent return on the investment?

But as another poster noted, I'm not sure why they couldn't have bought satellite time from other space agencies to accomplish the same thing.

National pride must have been a major factor in this decision. And the group at Surrey Satellite must have some good sales people. (Surrey has presented some interesting "Small Sat" papers in the past, so they know their stuff.)

As part of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation of "micro-satellites" (I just searched around and found out that this is part of DMC), this could be a valuable contribution; I don't know how corrupt the Nigerian government, but this could be a profitable investment for the country if all goes well.

I guess I'll have to withhold judgement on this one for now...

Here's a link to some mixed reactions about the launch:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/world/w126092003.html