Ghana’s Voyage to Space

During the summer of 2017, Ghana launched its first satellite into space. Nearly 400 people gathered in the city of Koforidua to watch as GhanaSat-1 was released into orbit from the International Space Station.

The satellite was designed at the All Nations University by a team of engineers that included Benjamin Bonsu, Ernest Teye Matey and Joseph Quansah. GhanaSat-1 was the product of a 2-year project built in collaboration with Japan’s Kyushu Institute of Technology as part of the Birds-1 program. Four other countries also participated in the program and put together similar satellites, including Japan, Mongolia, Nigeria and Bangladesh. 

Two cameras were attached to GhanaSat-1, which were used to take live images of Ghana’s coastline. In addition, the satellite was equipped to measure the impact that radiation in space could have on electronics. The data collected using the first satellite will inform further scientific studies in Ghana, specifically within the field of space technology. 

The cube-shaped satellite had the capacity to receive song requests from Earth and broadcast them into space. One of the first songs transmitted by the satellite was Ghana’s national anthem. The satellite also serves as an important educational tool for students. The team that developed GhanaSat-1 continues to visit high school students and teach them about how a satellite functions.

The mission concluded in May 2019 and GhanaSat-1 was deorbited. However, there has been discussion about developing and launching another satellite, GhanaSat-2. The hope is to eventually use this satellite to monitor water pollution, deforestation and mining activities in Ghana. Future projects like GhanaSat-2 will also provide employment opportunities for recent graduates in the country. The construction of such satellites is critical because it allows Ghana to become closer to having its own Space Agency.

Sources

1. “Ghana Launches Its First Satellite into Space.” BBC News, BBC, 7 July 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40538471.

2. “Ghana’s First Satellite Launched To Space.” Ghana’s First Satellite Launched To Space | Ministry of Communications, moc.gov.gh/ghana%E2%80%99s-first-satellite-launched-space.

3. Kennedy, Kelsey. “Ghana’s First Satellite Is Now in Orbit.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 8 Aug. 2017, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ghana-first-satellite-cubesat.