FUTA to become first Nigerian varsity to launch satellite into space

The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has announced the imminent launch of a satellite into space.

The launch is in partnership with other local and international organisations and countries.

It was announced on Tuesday that the satellite is set to launch on Thursday by 10:55pm.

The university, in a statement, said that the satellite would be launched into space from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US.

“The Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, scientific prowess will get a big fillip on Thursday June 1st at 10.55pm (Nigerian time), when the SpaceX Falcon9 Rocket launches Birds 1 satellites, comprising 5 CubeSats belonging to Japan, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria and Bangladesh, into Space from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA.

“The Nigerian CubeSat, code name NigeriaEdusat-1, is designed, built and owned by The Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, in collaboration with National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, Abuja, Nigeria, and Kyushu Institute of Technology Japan.

“Ibukun Adebolu of FUTA’s Department of Mechanical Engineering is the representative of Nigeria on the project.

“It is the first ever university satellite to be launched in Nigeria. The CubeSats will be launched and docked to the International Space Station where the satellites will be deployed into lower orbit during the last week of June 2017,” the statement read.