Egypt Set to Launch MisrSat-2 Satellite to Monitor Climate Change

The Egyptian remote sensing satellite MisrSat-2, or EgyptSat2, is ready to launch in December 2023, according to statements made by Sherif Sedqy, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA).

Built and tested in Egypt with Chinese assistance, the satellite is intended to monitor climate change, desertification, and land degradation and to track Egypt’s essential water resources. Sedky also revealed that MisrSat-2 will be crucial in improving resource planning, land management, agricultural productivity, and urban planning in Egypt.

The announcements were made on Wednesday at a ceremony organized by the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, under the title “My Dreams in Space – Connecting Chinese Astronauts and African Teenagers,” which was attended by China’s Ambassador Liao Liqiang.

MisrSat-2 was made possible by a USD 92 million grant provided by China in February 2022. The satellite was assembled and evaluated at the Satellite Assembly, Integration, and Testing Center (AITC) at EgSA, which is considered the largest space center in Africa and the Middle East.

In June, during the satellite’s completion ceremony, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al Mashat, praised the strength of Sino-Egyptian relationship. Liqiang, meanwhile, noted that Egypt’s success in assembling and testing MisrSat-2 made it the first African nation capable of having a space program.

EgyptSat-2 will be transported to China by the end of this year for launch.

Sedky revealed some of the future plans EgSA is currently working on, such as the establishment of the African Development Satellite in collaboration with Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and South Sudan. Additionally, Egypt, Kenya, and Uganda are collaborating on the development of a remote-sensing camera for the International Space Station’s Bartolomeo platform.

In January of this year, Egypt’s involvement in African space technology was strengthened by the establishment of the African Space Agency (AfSA). Sedky disclosed plans to establish a “satellite constellation” to reinforce Egypt’s position as the leader in African space technology. Egypt won the right to host AfSA in 2019, and it intends to become the primary center for collaboration between African and non-African space partners to launch space missions across the continent, according to Al Ahram.

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