Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited is a company under the supervision of the
Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
Satellites
NigComSat-1
NigComSat-1, a Nigerian satellite ordered and built in China in 2004, was Nigeria's second satellite and Africa's first communication satellite. It was launched on 13 May 2007, on board a Chinese
Long March 3B
The Long March 3B (), also known as the CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan. A three-stage rocket with four strap-on ...
carrier rocket
A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites) from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistag ...
, from the
Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China. The spacecraft was operated by NIGCOMSAT LTD and the Nigerian Space Agency,
NASRDA. On 11 November 2008, NigComSat-1 was de-orbit after running out of power due to an anomaly in its solar array. It was based on the Chinese
DFH-4 satellite bus
A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held.
Bus-derived satellites are less customized than specially-produced satelli ...
, and carried different
transponder
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
s: 4
C band; 14
Ku band; 8
Ka band; and 2
L band. It was designed to provide coverage to many parts of Africa, and the K
a band transponders would also cover Italy.
On 10 November 2008 (0900 GMT), the satellite was reportedly switched off for analysis and to avoid a possible collision with other satellites and was put into "emergency mode operation in order to effect mitigation and repairs". The satellite eventually was de-orbited later on in the same month. According to internal sources, the situation was caused by a problem with the solar panels of the satellite, which further lead to reduced functioning capacity.
On 24 March 2009, the Nigerian
Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, NIGCOMSAT Ltd. and CGWIC signed a further contract for the in-orbit delivery of NigComSat-1R satellite. NigComSat-1R was also a DFH-4 satellite.
NigComSat-1R
Funded by insurance proceeds, a replacement for the failed satellite was launched from China in 2011.
2018 agreement
In 2018, Nigeria signed an agreement with China to purchase two additional communications satellites with funds provided the
Export-Import Bank of China.
In exchange, China will receive part ownership of Nigerian Communications Satellite.
References
External links
* http://www.nigcomsat.gov.ng
NigComSat 1R 42° E (42.5° E) Footprint
Government of Nigeria
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