Uganda successfully launched its first satellite into orbit on Monday, following its construction by three Ugandan and Japanese engineers as part of a multinational satellite design program. PearlAfricaSat-1, the country’s cube satellite, will then be launched into low earth orbit in December of this year.
The PearlAfricaSat-1, according to the country’s Ministry of Science and Technology, is intended to provide research and observation data that will provide solutions in weather forecasting, land, water bodies, mineral mapping, and agriculture monitoring. Other examples include disaster preparedness, infrastructure planning, and border security.