The International Telecommunication Union has granted a license to launch the first Tunisian satellite, according to what was published by the Director General of the "Telnet" complex, Mohamed Farikha, on the social networking site Facebook.
The "Challenge One" satellite is expected to be launched next March by a Russian launch missile.
The first moon with local capabilities
Fraikha explained that a file was submitted to the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations agency specialized in the field of information and communication technology, as it is the international structure specialized in this field, and after reviewing all the details of the technological project, it informed all countries of the world through its official website of the project, and granted telecommunications licenses To launch a satellite.
"Challenge One" is the first Arab satellite manufactured with local capabilities 100% of Tunisian engineers in the "Telnet" company specialized in technology, software and engineering activities, according to the same page.
It is expected that it will be launched on March 20, which coincides with the 65th anniversary of independence, from the Russian spacecraft "Soyouz 2", according to the same page.
The new satellite also specializes in the "Internet of Things", and will use for the first time in the world the "LoRa" protocol in space communications, which is a protocol that allows low-speed wireless communication for internet-connected devices with low energy consumption. The context of smart cities, industrial control and smart agriculture.
The first Tunisian satellite, Challenge One, followed by 29 other satellites until 2023 (Telnet)
30 moons before 2023
It is noteworthy that the satellite had passed all space launch tests since last June at the Russian Skolkovo Innovation Center.
Its launch date was set on November 15, before being postponed to next March.
In 2019, the Tunisian company contracted with the two Russian companies, "SPUTNIX" and "GK Launch Services", working in the field of manufacturing and launching missiles, to launch 30 satellites in the field of Internet of Things services before 2023.