By John Nhandara
JAPANES Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Ambassador Satoshi Tanaka is optimistic the successful launch of Zimbabwe’s first satellite, ZIMSAT 1 will propel the country towards achieving more technological milestones.
Zimbabwe made history when it successfully launched its first satellite, ZIMSAT 1 into space last month
Commenting on the significance of the development, which was as a result of a partnership between the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Satoshi Tanaka spoke on the uses of the satellite which include monitoring land use, assessment of water quality and providing early warning systems.
“The mission of the satellite includes technology assessment of monitoring land use and land coverage, assessment of water quality and soil fertility. By taking photos of the country’s land, the satellite can be useful in enabling us to monitor climate change, prevent environmental degradation and give early warning of disasters,” he explained.
The Japanese Ambassador also hailed exchange programmes that exist between his country and Zimbabwe especially in technology and skills transfer.
“The principle of Japan’s foreign aid programmes is to support the country’s own efforts in development is an important aspect of our cooperation in sharing skills and building the capacities of Zimbabwean people. Japan has sent over 2 000 Zimbabwean civil servants to Japan to receive training in the latest expertise. Japan has dispatched more than 1b000 Japanese experts to Zimbabwe to share skills,” he added
The launch of the satellite was driven by the need to enhance research and development in a technologically driven society.
