Sri Lanka's first satellite will be launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Chinda on 22nd November, reports ColomboPage.
The announcement was made by none other, than the little less well known - Rohitha Rajapaksa - President Mahinda Rajapaksa's youngest son on Saturday.
The satellite will be operational for commercial purposes by early June 2013. The project is run by SupremeSAT, a BOI approved company that is in an exclusive agreement with China's state owned China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).
Rohitha Rajapaksa said that the logistics for a space station is being sought at present, and that the station would employ 200 Chinese trained professionals.
Speaking to a local newspaper, he also announced that Sri Lanka was planning to launch its own satellite in 2015.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
