Egypt will launch first satellite assembly centre in March 2021, CEO of Egyptian Space Agency Mohamed Al-Qousi said, noting that the agency is currently in the final stages of adjusting the subsystems of Tiba 1 satellite to be ready for operation. The assembly centre will be located in the under-construction space and satellite technology city in the Fifth Settlement. The space city, to be built on an area of 123 feddan, will also accommodate the African Space Agency's headquarters, a research and development centre, Space Academy, Space Museum, a planetarium, a library, a conference centre, and a hotel for foreign delegations. “We have started working on the project three years ago. We completed the construction works and the equipment installation and operation would begin in the second half of the year,” Al-Qousi said. Egypt's planned satellite assembly centre will be the first of its kind in the region, he added. On a different note, Al-Qousi said China provided Egypt $72m grant to launch a remote-sensing satellite on 8 September 2019. With regard to the latest developments in the African satellite dedicated to measuring climate variables, Al-Qousi explained that specialists from Ghana, Sudan, Uganda, Nigeria, and Kenya will participate in the project. “We are now working on procedures to familiarise African specialists with Egypt's work conditions as they will work under Egypt's supervision in the African satellite project,” he pointed out. The planned satellite will be tasked with measuring the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, he explained. Carbon dioxide is the main cause of the greenhouse effect. Al-Qousi pointed out that a meeting will be held to determine each country's contribution from the technical and financing respect, as well as the project's time plan. Moreover, Egypt is currently completing an action plan to send an Egyptian astronaut to space, where a competition will be held to choose the eligible potential astronaut to board the International Space Station. According to Al-Qousi, everyone can apply to the competition. Applicants will go through physical, medical, and psychological tests supervised by Egyptian Space Agency.
