LUANDA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The first Angolan satellite "AngoSat-1" will enter orbit next December, Angola's National Institute for the Promotion of the Information Society said Wednesday.
Manuel Homem, director general of the institute, told Xinhua that the satellite will bring countless benefits to the interconnection services of communication operators, telemedicine services, distance learning and expansion of communication services including radio and television into the remote areas of the country, among others.
As the satellite will cover part of Africa and Europe, Homem said it may also bring economic returns to Angola through sale of its services.
Built by a Russian state consortium, AngoSat-1 will be launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan through an Ukrainian launch vehicle.
At least 47 Angolan aerospace engineers, trained in China, Argentina, Brazil, Japan and Russia, will guarantee the functioning of the satellite.
The AngoSat-1 project has been underway since 2012.
