Bolivia is to establish a space agency in order to manage and operate its first communications satellite, Tupac Katari, which is due to be launched in 2013.
At a press conference, Bolvian Public Works Minister Walter Delgadillo told local reporters that…
Bolivia is to establish a space agency in order to manage and operate its first communications satellite, Tupac Katari, which is due to be launched in 2013.
At a press conference, Bolvian Public Works Minister Walter Delgadillo told local reporters that President Evo Morales signed a decree establishing the national space agency with the board of directors to be made up of representatives from six different government ministries. The agency will have an initial annual budget of US$1m and be financed through a mix of state funding, donations and foreign loans.
As well as overseeing the Tupac Katari satellite, Delgadillo said that the institution’s remit will be to promote technology transfer, human-resource development and the application of satellite-communication programs to education, defence, medicine and meteorology.
Bolivia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese state to construct and launch its first satellite with Morales due to visit the Asian country in March to finalise the agreement. The total cost of the satellite is expected to be around US$300m, with China providing Bolivia with the financing to fund the project.