The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, says plans are afoot to develop a GhanaSat-2 that could monitor illegal mining and deforestation in the country.
He revealed this on the floor of Parliament, when he was responding to a question asked by the Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Hon. Ras Mubarak, on whether there is any support available to institutions of higher learning that have programmes for developing new technology and innovation.
The Minister said the GhanaSat-1 was developed by three students from the All Nations University College, Koforidua, in partnership with their Japanese counterparts at the Kyushu Institute of Technology. He added that the satellite cost about $500,000, to manufacture and launch.
He indicated the GhanaSat-1 has two missions of taking detailed pictures of the coastlines of the country. He said there is an educational initiative that has the objective of integrating satellite technology into high school curriculum.
He also stated the Ministry is working with its agencies to develop the requisite infrastructure for Space Science and Technology.
