28-11-2008, 11:45 PM
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Nigcomsat-1: An adventure gone awry?
Nigcomsat-1: An adventure gone awry
The reported disappearance of the Chinese-built Nigeria Communications Satellite - 1 (Nigcomsat-1) from space is an unfortunate incident which should provide the Federal Government the opportunity to review its involvement in satellite launching. The disappearance of a satellite from space is not new. It did not start with Nigcomsat-1 neither will it end with this spacecraft nor prevent the launching of other satellites by Nigeria or other third world countries where the space technology is still in its infancy. But nagging questions and inconsistencies about the project should be settled while efforts to recover the lost satellite are underway.
On Sunday May 13, 2007, the Nigcomsat-1, flagship of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (Nigcomsat), was sent into orbit by a Chinese rocket at the Xichiang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province. The Nigerian government rejoiced on this momentous occasion and looked forward to 15 years of advanced telecommunications service from the craft which was built by the Great Wall Industry of the Peoples Republic of China. The satellite which set the country back by a whopping N40 billion was expected to boost the nation’s growing profile as the technological hub of Africa. It was meant to provide broadband internet and communications services to public and private sector organisations in Nigeria and other parts of Africa as well as some countries in Southern Europe.
But early this month, after the satellite had been in service for only 18 months, the euphoria dimmed. Nigcomsat-1 went out of service completely with its onboard electrical power supply damaged significantly due to a malfunctioning solar array. Because Nigerian and Chinese authorities failed to promptly address growing concerns on the fate of the satellite, speculations that it was almost completely out of control and perhaps a threat to nearby satellites became rife. Nigerian and later Chinese officials eventually reacted to the rumours, but only after a day had passed, and issued a series of denials. It is worrisome that relevant authorities attempted to cover-up the disappearance of the satellite.
The Nigerian public has no knowledge of the track record of the Chinese in satellite construction and launching, and many Nigerians had questioned the choice of China for the project given that there were many highly experienced countries in space technology which could have handled the project for Nigeria. This factor is now imperative in the light of the discovery that what is unfolding now in respect of the Nigcomsat-1 is an unfortunate reminder of how the loss of Sinosat-2, the largest communications satellite that China had ever put in space was handled. In late October 2006, the Chinese had launched Sinosat-2 with great fanfare. It was planned to greatly expand Chinese domestic TV coverage before the advent of the 2008 Olympics, among other things. However, immediately after launch, the satellite’s solar panel and antennae deployed failed completely.
Sinosat-2 was totally lost because Chinese authorities disclosed nothing, and all information flow about the satellite ceased for well over two weeks. In the case of Nigcomsat-1, for a day or so, the status of the satellite was a complete mystery with no Nigerian or Chinese official willing to admit that any problem existed. As a matter of fact, when reports of the loss first started to circulate, Nigcomsat denied that their engineers and technicians were encountering any significant or unforeseen difficulties. By the next day, however, they were telling an entirely different story.
According to experts, a full recovery of the satellite is still possible. For instance, in late October, Kazsat-1, a Russian-built satellite and the first communications satellite ever launched by Kazakhstan, was brought back to life after going completely offline back in early June, thanks to countless hours of hard work by Russian satellite engineers. The satellite industry as a whole accepts that satellite losses will happen and, in most instances, insures them. This is why Nigcomsat-1’s shortened lifespan should not be deemed a calamity, or something so disruptive that it will cause Nigeria’s satellite communications programme to be discarded altogether. Failure is a setback which should strengthen Nigerian engineers to work harder to find new pathways to success in space technology.
But it must be appreciated that restoring services on a satellite lost or crippled in space is not the same as restoring confidence and regaining lost customers. This is because once a satellite malfunctions, business models disintegrate and former customers lose much of their enthusiasm for good reason. As Nigcomsat would soon discover, it is no easy task running a satellite-based business when the satellite which is the basis of its operations could suddenly go blank. This is because by the time the satellite comes back to life convincing former customers to patronise the company would be no easy task.
Even though one of government’s primary responsibilities is to provide the needed infrastructure for development, the Nigerian government needs to review its involvement in the satellite business because launching of satellite has become a largely private sector-driven enterprise in some countries. While hope is not totally lost on the recovery of the satellite, the government must use the opportunity of the setback to involve more private sector operators in the venture. It should seek ways of involving private sector operators with a view to transferring ownership of the venture into private hands.
The government should concentrate on providing the appropriate regulatory and legal framework for the private sector to succeed in the business. As operators in the telecommunications sector have shown, such businesses are better run by private sector operators. Undoubtedly, the N40 billion spent on the satellite by government could be better utilised in upgrading existing infrastructure or providing new ones. In order to make sense of government’s privatisation programme, government should withdraw from profit making ventures and concentrate on its primary duty of providing the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
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ABDUL-AZIZ
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