By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The National Space Program
Management Office (GGPEN) has continued the deployment of Conecta Angola
infrastructure in Malanje, including the planned recovery of an ANGOSAT-2
connectivity antenna in the remote municipality of Marimba, as part of a wider
campaign covering 11 provinces.
The mission follows the
recovery of a connectivity point in Quirimbo, Cuanza Sul, and a 13-hour journey
to Malanje. During the trip, the GGPEN team made a brief stop in Ndalatando,
Cuanza Norte, to collect additional equipment required to continue the deployment.
In Marimba, located more
than 210 kilometres from the provincial capital, the team is scheduled to
restore a connectivity antenna using ANGOSAT-2 technology. The infrastructure
is expected to bring digital services, information and learning opportunities
closer to communities in an area where access to traditional communications and
connectivity infrastructure remains limited or unavailable.
Following the recovery, the
Conecta Angola infrastructure will be handed over to trainees and local space
technology managers responsible for its management and monitoring. The process
forms part of the transfer of skills promoted by the Ministry of Information
Technology and Communications (MINTTICS) and its partners through GGPEN.
The Malanje mission also
includes the installation of the Observa+ application in educational
institutions, providing teachers and students in remote communities with access
to Earth Observation tools and data. The technology is expected to support
practical applications in agriculture, environmental management and spatial
planning.
The team will additionally
engage local communities on World Space Week and the NASA Space Apps Challenge
as part of efforts to promote greater awareness and participation in space
science and technology.
The mission began with a
meeting involving the Head of the Department of Information and Communication
Technologies and manager appointed by the Provincial Government of Malanje,
Engineer Tilson Machado, and the representative of startup Kubanga, Engineer
Lucas Katumbi. Discussions focused on ensuring continuity of connectivity
following the planned recovery of the Marimba access point.
Machado and Katumbi are both
trainees under the National Programme for Training and Certification of
Managers and Users of Space Technology, which prepares local technicians and
managers to operate, manage and maintain space-based solutions.
The programme is
particularly important for remote locations where distance and the absence of
traditional infrastructure continue to limit access to communication and
information services.
GGPEN said the mission goes
beyond restoring connectivity infrastructure, combining the expansion of
Conecta Angola into underserved communities with knowledge transfer and the
deployment of space technologies.
