You might not know it, but there is actually an agency, here in Nigeria, dedicated to all things space. Actually, make that two agencies — the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited. The former was established in 1976.
Fast forward to 2017 and a few “misplaced” satellites later, Nigeria’s space program is basically … rubbish. In fact, the only thing of note that Nigeria has accomplished in the 40-odd years since NASRDA was created was the launch of Africa’s first geosynchronous communication satellite on May 13, 2007. It last made contact on November 11, 2008.
At this point, its safe to say Nigeria is not making any progress as far as space is concerned. So maybe today’s edition of ‘Yesterday In Tech Today’ can help the powers that be redefine their space strategy. Or not.
On April 17, 1967, the spacecraft Surveyor 3 was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida, US. It is the second US spacecraft to make a soft landing (it landed the way it should) on the Moon (Surveyor 2 crash landed).
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That spacecraft went on to study the lunar surface and send more than 6,300 pictures back to Earth (Nigerians can we at least start here). In total, seven Surveyor spacecrafts were sent to the Moon, five of them successfully completing soft landings.
Two years later (and probably from the findings of the Surveyor spacecrafts) in 1969, the US was able to put the first two humans — Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin — on the moon via the Apollo II Space Mission.
Maybe Nigeria has bigger problems than going to space or even launching satellites, but space and the technologies used to access it have made it possible for us to communicate the way we do (satellites power telecom signals, internet traffic, all kinds of meteorological data etc.)
So, if anything, we shouldn’t waste any more money on stuff we have no intention of being capable at (like launching satellites that cost millions of dollars only for them to stop working or get ‘lost’ after a year).
In the meantime, make sure you share this with your friends and advise them (because you people have to learn, I didn't make the rules!) to share with their friends.