Zaku made this known while speaking during the third annual national media conference on space and technology organized by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) held in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, recently stressing that the satellites are about 95 per cent complete.
The minister added that the two Earth Observation satellites namely, NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X are of high resolutions, explaining that Nigeriasat-2 carried a high-resolution imagery of 2.5m [pan] and 5m [mutispectral] along with a 32m spatial resolution payload that will be used to replace NigeriaSat-1 who have lifespan of five years which is still in the orbit.
Equally, he noted that Nigerian engineers using facilities of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited of the United Kingdom solely built NigeriaSat-X, which is the first indigenous Earth Observation satellites that will be launched into space.
In his remark, Governor Ibrahim Idris commended the effort of the agency for its effort in taking the country to the citadel of technological advancement through the launching of NigeriaSat-1 in 2003 and the deorbited NigComSat-1in 2007, which is a technological breakthrough for the nation, adding that the launching of the satellites marked the country march towards technological development and consequently socio-economic development of the nation.
Earlier, the Director-General of the agency, Dr. Seidu Onailo Mohammed, explained that the idea behind the media workshop was to assist the journalists with relevant information that will go along way in reshaping the views, interest and understanding of the ordinary man in the country in space science and technology and the benefits that abound in its exploration.