Key Highlights
- Zimbabwe is set to launch its second satellite, ZimSat-2, by November 2024
- ZimSat-2 will feature advanced sensors and imaging tools for applications like environmental hazard monitoring, mineral prospecting, drought management, and human settlements.
Zimbabwe is set to launch its small Earth Observation Satellite, ZimSat-2 by November 2024, after the successful pre-launch test has been carried out. This will be the country’s second satellite project, following the launch of ZimSat-1 in December 2022.
The satellite is equipped with advanced sensors and imaging tools to support various applications, including monitoring environmental hazards, mineral prospecting, drought management, and human settlements.
The launch, initially planned for Q2 2024, was postponed due to a minor delay. According to Mr Painos Gweme, the coordinator of the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA), the primary payload was not ready, resulting in the new launch window in November. Regardless, ZINGSA is completing all technical requirements, and the successful pre-launch tests have positioned ZimSat-2 for its launch window later this year.
ZimSat-2 project serves as a platform to enhance local human capacity by enabling the design, manufacturing, testing, and launching of satellites. It will also support the establishment of ground stations for uplink and downlink data, as well as the monitoring and control of satellites.
