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Sifelani Tsiko

Innovations Editor

The recently launched Zimbabwean satellite, ZimSat2, was among 53 satellites, which is a record-breaking composition of international spacecraft launched into orbit.

A Russian Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket was successfully launched from the Vostochny spaceport in Russian on November 5.

The development shows technological cooperation between Moscow and Harare.

“The hosted payload consisting of 49 Russian satellites, a Russian-Chinese satellite, a Russian-Zimbabwean satellite and two Iranian small satellites was delivered into the designated orbits and separated from the Fregat booster that was launched by a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Vostochny spaceport on November 5,” Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement released to the media.

ZimSat-2 was designed and manufactured through a collaborative research programme between the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) and Russia’s Southwest State University.

The satellite was deployed for earth observations and data collection in agriculture, environmental protection and natural resource management.

“ZimSat-2 will monitor the earth and support missions that keep track of crop health, predict yields and identify nutrient deficiencies. Developed using modern technologies, ZimSat-2 demonstrates high efficiency and reliability and is a key milestone in the development of our nation as we work towards Vision 2030,” Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere said recently.