Chief Executive of the Centre for Satellite Technology Development (CSTD), Dr. Spencer Onuh, in this interview with NGOZI OBOH, says arrangements are in top gear to deliver Nigeria's cube satellite(Cubesat), a type of miniaturised satellite for space research that usually has a volume of one litre (10cm cube), a mass of not more than 1.33kg, and typically uses commercial off-the-shelf electronics components.
CSTD has been doing a lot in terms satellite technology development in Nigeria; what is new?
We have a number of projects. I have mentioned them sometime ago: the micro satellites, the pico satellites and, in addition to these two, we now got the cubesat project, reaction wheel project, the satellite prototype project, which has come on board.
We needed to make some fund available from what we got in 2011 to fund these projects since it is a continuation of what we earlier started. For the pico sateliite, we have next year as our target and we are still on course. The cubesat project has a quick turn- around than the pico satellite. So we expect that, by? the middle of this year – that's the timeline – we should have the deliverables.
Cubesat is a satellite of the size of a cube: 10cm X 10cm X 10cm. It is functional satellite depending on the payload you have: it could be imaging; it could be earth observation; it can sensor; you can test; but we use it a lot for scientific purposes. When I talk of reaction wheel, which is one of the projects we are working on, you can use this reaction wheel on your own cubesat.
When it is space qualified, you can then know what to use it for. You can use it on other satellites. It depends on the agility of the reaction wheel.
Cubesat is for scientific research purposes; if you want to study atmospheric pressure, density in the high end there, those are the things you use. They serve meteorological purposes but they are not 15-year or five-year life span type of satellite.
They do not last long. It depends on the robustness of the design.? Some? last for about 18 months, some six or two months but that can give you enormous information which you can use for further development of your sub- system which you have designed.
Why is CSTD interested in cube satellites?
The motivation came from one of our centres: the Centre for Basic Space Science, Nsukka. They have a lot to do with the atmosphere – both lower earth or upper earth atmospheric premises. lt is something we felt we could make for them. We are working with the Centre for Space Transport and Propulsion? which? will take this satellite into the right height for us.
We are not going into the orbit. This cannot go into the orbit, but they can take it to appropriate height. Some of their staff were able to do 10,000m about a year ago in Alabama, so they have the ability to take it to that height.
Are there some other countries that have built and are using cube satellites?
There are lots of them;? it's just that in Nigeria the universities are not that developed. There is no aero space engineering department in many Nigerian universities. This is what students use for their projects, and in the United Kingdom, the government is actually funding this. Sometimes they give grant and you bid for the grant. When the grant is given, after you finish the project, you are invited for competition where the research result is assessed and prizes are given, which means more funding for the researcher. In South Africa, for example, University of Pennsylvania does a lot on cubesat.
They have a centre on cubesat and it is one of the centres which we have discussions with and will collaborate. There is a discussion between them and Ghana. Ghana does not have developed space agency, like us. It was just last year that they mentioned their intention to go into space to the United Nations committee for peaceful use of the outer space. We want to try our hand on this and see what it can become.
Although cubesat can survive orbital atmosphere, we do not have the capability to launch into the orbit. We had also discussed with IAAA (International Aeronautics and Astronomic Association) and they are willing to speak for us to launch agencies that could assist us.
I am sure capacity building is a priority here.
Linking it to capacity building,? it enables our young scientists and engineers to understand and have hands-on experience on the rudiments of satellite designs and manufacture. In our collaboration with IAA (International Academy of Astronauts)? there are discussions and plans for them to come here for two semester equivalent of intensive satellite cubesat design and manufacture and there will be deliverables at the end, and that is the cubesat.
It is going to involve institutions in Nigeria – six from each of the geo political zones. So at the end you will have graduates and undergraduates that can speak to you confidently about satellite manufacture and design. There are members of our staff undergoing training abroad, and next year we will send another group.
This is because capacity building is key for us. One of them that has completed his Ph.D. is back and they are great assets to us. We believe that as they complete their programmes and come back, they are going to be great assets to us.
How far have you gone on the? Pico satellites project?
We are working very hard. We have passed beyond the design stage, done critical review, and now procuring major component and subsystems. The next step is to get it space-qualified by going through a number of tests, involving sending signals and receiving responses on ground. After that, we think of the launch.
We will soon be ready for launch, but our main challenge is funding. Although we missed a step in the process in terms of frequency allocation, however,? we discussed with the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC)and they advised us to use microwave which does not require ITU (International Telecommunications Union) approval.
Nigeria will spend a lot of money on this; what are the economic benefits?
Normally, it will cost about $30 million to build pico satellites for such size but we are looking at spending $80million considering other logistics associated with it. The economic impact is enormous because you are looking at satellites that can generate information worth than N1billion in a year when fully operational.
This will be generated from sales of satellite imagery. We are to produce images needed for the Nigerian and African economy. Images are those required for emergency management, monitoring of projects like the MDGs. We are still talking with the MDGs office to let them see what we can offer them and what we can do together. How we are going to do it is that the MDGs office can tell us, look we have this number of projects in Kwara State these are the latitudes and longitudes, these are photographs from contractors, can you give us images of the projects.
Images of how a particular location where the project is sited will be provided and after the project the image will be taken also. I think what they are experiencing now is that projects people claim to be there are not there. So with our satellite imageries they can compare with images submitted by the contractors. The satellite will be programmed in such a way that it passes through Nigeria four times a day.
When you look at our projection for the MGDs office alone, they will need images worth about N3billion alone in a year. That is just a sector in Nigeria; then National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and others that use Geographic Information System (GIS). We are looking at generating about N5billion annually from Nigeria alone.
Other African countries are market for us. The satellites will be useful for emergency management especially for disaster but we are yet to fully develop that capacity. It can be used to monitor ecological problems like oil spillage and flooding.
What key developments will take place around the pico satellite project this year?
The project is ongoing. The only issue is that funding requirement is higher than we expected. So we have to plan. Secondly is that some of the staff on the project are doing their MSc now. They should be back as from July this year and that means it will take off seriously again. Pico is a little bit bigger than the cubesat. We are holding forth seriously and we want to deliver.
Is inadequate human capital a challenge in the development of satellite technology in this country?
Our vision is continental leadership for satellite technology development, but South Africa seems to be ahead of us. South Africa satellite agency spends $0.08billion annually on their satellite programme, while Nigeria spends $0.06billion. They are using pico satellites in South Africa and they have launched about two – one of them late last year.
Also a number of universities in the United States do this in conjunction with the private sector. In the United Kingdom, the European Space Agency runs a programme for the universities and builds about nine every other year. Some countries have 12 or 13 of this satellites in order to get as much information as possible.
If we want to be leaders, then we should be steps ahead. Our sister agency in South Africa has more than 300 Ph.D. holders with both support staff scientists and engineers. As a research centre, I gave got only myself with Ph.D. while five others are undergoing training; but with by our roadmap, I would have trained 50 Ph.D. holders.
We do not have adequate human capital for the project in Nigeria, but we are working in collaboration with international organizations whom we have discussed with and they are willing to be involved in the launch. One of such agencies is the International Aeronautics and Astronomic Association (IAAA).
What other activities do you have for 2012?
We are going on with our target which we want to deliver.? Before the third quarter of the year, we will have exhibition to showcase what we have. Within the year we are going to engage secondary schools in competition for space programmes.
We already know what we want to do with them.? We have a road map given to us by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and we are mindful of that road map and are doing things underground that, by the time we are made visible, we will be seen to be ready.
Is the roadmap achievable?
In 2025 we will build satellite on the Nigerian soil with capability to launch, and by 2018 we'll build made-in-Nigeria satellites in Nigeria. I came from a meeting this afternoon with the president of China Greatwall Industry Corporation. They are the ones handling the Assembly, Integration Transport (AIT)? building and equipment, and the AIT project was the only agenda.?
While we were there, he phoned China that we need to expedite action on this. We have the capability to design and build; it is the necessary infrastructure that is not in place, but the government has been supporting us gradually.
We now have higher commitment from the government. Immediately the building is up, the equipment is there, I can tell you that it? will not be up to 2018 before we complete a Nigerian built satellite on our soil.