Russia Launches Spy Satellite for Egyptian
Military<
http://www.tesfanews.net/russia-launches-spy-satellite-for-egyptian-military/>
Posted on 23 April 2014. Tags: Egyptsat-2
satellite<
http://www.tesfanews.net/tag/egyptsat-2-satellite/>
, Ethiopia <
http://www.tesfanews.net/tag/ethiopia/>,
GERD<
http://www.tesfanews.net/tag/gerd/>
, Nile <
http://www.tesfanews.net/tag/nile/>,
Soyuz-U<
http://www.tesfanews.net/tag/soyuz-u/>
, water war <
http://www.tesfanews.net/tag/water-war/>
http://www.tesfanews.net/russia-launches-spy-satellite-for-egyptian-military/
*Given Egypt’s current water dispute with Ethiopia and the threat of using
force to stop the construction of the controversial Dam that Ethiopia is
building over the Nile, the launch of a spy satellite perhaps capable of
being used as a missile guidance system should be a source of serious
concern for the Ethiopia regime. Russia also apparently trained Egyptian
engineers to control the satellite from a ground station near Cairo that
has been operational since October 2011.*
[image: A Soyuz rocket with Egyptsat-2 satellite shortly after rollout to
the launch pad at Site 31 on April 13, 2014. According to its official
specifications, the one-ton 559GK satellite could discern details as small
as one meter on the Earth's surface. In addition to regular photos, the
satellite's optics could produce infrared
imagery.]<
http://www.tesfanews.net/russia-launches-spy-satellite-for-egyptian-military/soyuz_rocket/>
A Soyuz rocket with Egyptsat-2 satellite shortly after rollout to the
launch pad at Site 31 on April 13, 2014. According to its official
specifications,
the one-ton 559GK satellite could discern details as small as one meter on
the Earth’s surface. In addition to regular photos, the satellite’s optics
could produce infrared imagery.
By *Russian Space Web* <
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/egyptsat2.html>,
*A RUSSIAN* rocket launched a new-generation surveillance spacecraft
Wednesday designed to give the Egyptian military a powerful “eye in the
sky”.
THE launch of the Soyuz-U rocket took place as scheduled on April 16, 2014,
at 20:20 Moscow Time (12:20 EST) from Site 31 in the Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan.
The launch vehicle was carrying a Russian-built Egyptsat-2 satellite
designed to provide high-resolution imagery for the Egyptian military and
other government agencies in the country.
The spacecraft was successfully delivered into its planned orbit 520
seconds after liftoff.
The development and launch campaign for Egyptsat-2 has been conducted
largely in secret. Only one visual of the operational spacecraft was
released to the public by its manufacturer RKK Energia after the successful
launch. Notably, in its post-launch press-release, the company avoided the
use of name Egyptsat-2, instead identifying the satellite as a “spacecraft
for optical-electronic observation developed for the foreign customer.”
RKK Energia announced that the satellite had been inserted into a 720 by
440-kilometer orbit with an inclination 51.6 degrees toward the Equator.
Its ground facility established control over the satellite at 21:52 Moscow
Time, the company said. Western radar detected two objects in orbit with
similar parameters, probably representing the satellite and the third stage
of the Soyuz-U launch vehicle.
The satellite was expected to use its own propulsion system to enter a
final operational orbit.
Received on Thu Apr 24 2014 - 01:43:03 EDT