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Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

spaceinafrica.com

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Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#61

Post by walrus01 »

heraldgeezer wrote: post #53
echoangle wrote: post #2

Don’t want to belittle the achievement but they launched it as in „had it launched by the commercial launch provider SpaceX“, not on a self-developed rocket as it sounds like on the first read.

These types of countries can't even keep power, internet WAN, mobile RAN/Core, infra up on a consistent basis. I knew it had to be something like this. Yes, mask off. Yes, I am tired.

> can't even keep power, internet WAN, mobile RAN/Core, infra up on a consistent basis.

You could say this as well about significant parts of Appalachia in the US and other impoverished regions of the US, and many first nations reserves in remote parts of Canada too.

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#62

Post by kortilla »

Onavo wrote: post #19
notahacker wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean basically everyone launches their first satellite using a third party launch provider which is usually SpaceX. If there's someone missing credit here it's Endurosat for providing the satellite bus and doing integration work, but the payload and operation which is the novel bit will be Botswanan. It's like you don't have to credit Linus Torvalds or Brendan Eich for their contributions to your first web service.…

Why do they ask you not to mention them publicly?

Companies frequently do this kind of thing when they don’t want you to use them as promo material through an implied partnership.

Because spacex also makes satellites, they don’t want confusion about which satellites are theirs. “MyCompany Partners with SpaceX to launch new communications satellite” is not something their PR team wants to deal with disambiguating.

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#63

Post by kortilla »

walrus01 wrote: post #61
heraldgeezer wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These types of countries can't even keep power, internet WAN, mobile RAN/Core, infra up on a consistent basis. I knew it had to be something like this. Yes, mask off. Yes, I am tired.

> can't even keep power, internet WAN, mobile RAN/Core, infra up on a consistent basis. You could say this as well about significant parts of Appalachia in the US and other impoverished regions of the US, and many first nations reserves in remote parts of Canada too.

Yes, and it would surprising if someone claimed those First Nations launched a satellite.

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#64

Post by Dylan16807 »

fastasucan wrote: post #51
Dylan16807 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Very few organizations and even countries can develop both a launch vehicle and a satellite. I would remove the last three words from that. Launch vehicles are hard. Satellites are easy. This is a cubesat, even.

Why remove it? It doesn’t change what they say.

It's like saying "it's really hard to build both a nuclear reactor and a quadcopter".

It's technically true but makes the second one sound a lot harder than it really is. A hobbyist can make a cubesat, and if they do something clever they might even find a grant to pay for the launch.

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#66

Post by anon291 »

dyauspitr wrote: post #49
zvorygin wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Botswana is actually reasonably well developed and stable. It seems fine, and I applaud them.

Politically stable, relatively low corruption and economical acceptable. They are doing many things well relative to the rest of Africa. On the other hand, 30% of their women have HIV.

It is very difficult to change mass culture.

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#67

Post by pizzly »

blobbers wrote: post #38

… this does not seem like their best use of resources.

Need to work on both high tech and low wage opportunities at the same time. Without having high tech there will be a bigger brain drain, many people that gets educated or starts a business with higher ambitions will leave as soon as they can. Having high tech opportunities slows down the brain drain and increases the potential to create different industries that support the country. Also as there will be many first in the country such as building a satellite there will be more potential to grow for anyone wanting to enter that industry even if the current economic benefit is lower than say other countries. For instance USA can grow mostly from developing new technology and their population growth (traditionally from immigration), A country like Botswana can grow from improving their current infrastructure (education, catching up in technology etc) AND new technology and population growth. First movers will get a bigger piece of the pie an have long term benefit. This is a bit simplified but should give a picture of how this would benefit Botswana.

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#68

Post by pclmulqdq »

fastasucan wrote: post #51
Dylan16807 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Very few organizations and even countries can develop both a launch vehicle and a satellite. I would remove the last three words from that. Launch vehicles are hard. Satellites are easy. This is a cubesat, even.

Why remove it? It doesn’t change what they say.

Launch vehicle development program: $1 billion

Cubesat: $100k

You remove it because of the 4 orders of magnitude.

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#69

Post by notahacker »

blobbers wrote: post #38

… this does not seem like their best use of resources.

You'd be surprised how little a 3U Endurosat bus and a rideshare costs...

Not sure exactly how essential indigenous Earth Observation capabilities are for Botswana, but Botswanan engineers who worked on it and their university would actually be pretty well placed for future collaboration with low cost satellite component manufacturers in South Africa...

Re: Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

#70

Post by technothrasher »

zvorygin wrote: post #43
blobbers wrote: post #38

… this does not seem like their best use of resources.

Botswana is actually reasonably well developed and stable. It seems fine, and I applaud them.

It's amazing to see the stark difference when crossing the border from Zimbabwe into Botswana.
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