SoylentNews

Angola's First Communications Satellite Lifts Off from Kazakhstan

posted by martyb on Wednesday December 27 2017, @10:33AM   
from the we-should-talk dept.

Fnord666 writes:

A Ukrainian-built Zenit booster and a Russian-made Fregat upper stage launched with an Angolan communications satellite Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, heading for an orbital perch more than 22,000 miles above Earth.

A nearly 20-story-tall Zenit rocket lifted off with the Angosat 1 spacecraft at 1900 GMT (2 p.m. EST) Tuesday from Site 45 at the historic spaceport in Kazakhstan, where launch occurred at 1 a.m. Wednesday local time.

A live webcast of the launch provided by Roscosmos showed the Zenit booster climbing through low clouds over the frigid launch base, heading northeast over the Kazakh steppe.

Deployment of the 3,631-pound (1,647-kilogram) Angosat 1 satellite from the Zenit's Fregat upper stage is expected at 0354 GMT Wednesday (10:54 p.m. EST Tuesday) after three Fregat engine burns to place the spacecraft into a circular geostationary orbit nearly 22,300 miles (nearly 35,800 kilometers) over the equator.

[...] Angosat 1 is Angola's first communications satellite, the product of an inter-governmental agreement signed between the Angolan and Russian governments in 2009. Built by RSC Energia, a major Russian aerospace contractor, Angosat 1 is designed for a 15-year mission providing television broadcast, Internet, radio and other telecommunications services to Angola, the rest of Africa and parts of Europe.

The satellite carries 16 C-band and six Ku-band transponders, and controllers will position it along the equator at 13 degrees east longitude to start its mission.

Airbus Defense and Space reportedly supplied the communications payload for the Angosat 1 satellite.

Russian engineers also helped construct and activate a satellite control center near the Angolan capital of Luanda on the southwest coast of Africa, where officials will oversee Angosat 1 operations.

The launch of Angosat 1 aboard a Zenit rocket is a rare example of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine, whose relations have soured since 2014 with Russia's annexation of Crimea and involvement in an ongoing civil war.

Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/12/26/angolas-first-communications-satellite-ready-for-launch-tuesday/

---

Original Submission

• more details on Angosat project more details on Angosat project (Score: 2) by beckett on Wednesday December 27 2017, @11:10AM (3 children)

  by beckett (1115) on Wednesday December 27 2017, @11:10AM (#614685)

  Russianspaceweb [russianspaceweb.com] has a more detailed, multi-part article that discusses the technical aspects of the satellite, geopolitics surrounding the program, and lotsa pictures.

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		2

• Re:more details on Angosat project Re:more details on Angosat project (Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday December 27 2017, @08:54PM (2 children)

  by frojack (1554) on Wednesday December 27 2017, @08:54PM (#614869) Journal

  What I learned is that Angola lent its name to this project, and nothing else.

  The most telling line in your link was:

  extensive political, economic and military ties between Russia and Angola dating back to the Soviet period

  The Russians have long wanted, but never really achieved a permanent foothold in Africa.
  Too bad that wasn't the case with the Portuguese [wikipedia.org].

  --
  No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.

  Parent

  • ''Russians' [desired] foothold in Africa'' ''Russians' [desired] foothold in Africa'' (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 27 2017, @10:38PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 27 2017, @10:38PM (#614896)

    You managed to leave out a giant piece of the picture.

    South African Border War (1966 - 1990) [wikipedia.org]
    largely fought in neighbouring states [Aggression by apartheid South Africa, outside of its borders.]
    [...]
    South African tactics became increasingly aggressive as the conflict progressed. The [South African "Defense" Force's] incursions produced Angolan casualties and occasionally resulted in severe collateral damage to economic installations regarded as vital to the Angolan economy.
    [...]
    to stop these raids, [...] the Soviet Union backed the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) through a large contingent of military advisors and up to four billion dollars worth of modern defence technology in the 1980s.

    Beginning in 1984, regular Angolan units under Soviet command were confident enough to confront the SADF.

    Their positions were also bolstered by thousands of Cuban troops.

    In short, the presence of Soviet/Russian and Cuban forces was Anti-Imperialism against the Capitalist White Supremacist colonial ally of USA.gov.

    -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

    Parent

    • ...and further... (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 27 2017, @10:52PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 27 2017, @10:52PM (#614901)

      Note how far it is from South Africa's border to Angola. [amazonaws.com]

      What South Africa was after (besides White rule in the region):
      Angolan exports: crude oil, petroleum products, diamonds, fish, fish products, coffee, sisal, cotton, lumber

      -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

      Parent