Despite Political and Economic Paralysis, Tunisia Launches First Home-Made Satellite

On March 22, 2021, Tunisia launched the first home-made satellite Challenge ONE onboard a Soyuz-2 rocket, in a small step for aerospace but a big one for the Maghreb countries.

And "Challenge ONE" is the first Tunisian satellite manufactured locally, intended for "Internet connectivity". 

The "Internet connectivity" is an advanced concept of the Internet so that all things in our lives can be connected to the World Wide Web, to perform specific functions through the network, and in modern industrial systems.

Home-Made

The French newspaper Le Monde says that Tunisia is the first country in the Maghreb and the sixth in Africa to make its own satellite for the Internet of connectivity.

Remembering that it's a small step for aerospace, but a big one for Tunisia, as this launch opens more doors for young engineers who work abroad. 

According to "Space of Africa '' website, Tunisia preceded the African continent, South Africa, Egypt and Ghana, in making its own satellite.

The Challenge ONE satellite was manufactured by a team from the Tunisian telecommunications group TELNET, and most of its engineers, who studied in Tunisia, are between 25 and 30 years old. 

"I am proud to participate in this project," says Khalil Chiha, 27, who completed his studies at the Higher Institute of Electronics and Communication in Sfax. "Working in the aerospace sector is a dream." 

The Engineer Haifa Triki, 28, confirms that she followed from Tunisia the flight of the Soyuz capsule that carries the satellite, saying, "We were very impressed, that after three years of intense work, all the conditions were great. Tis was a challenge of learning new technologies, we sacrificed a lot, but Iit was worth it."

" A Dream Coming True"

The missile was launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, and President Kais Saied followed the launch directly from Tunisia, where he joined engineers and journalists at TELNETt . 

The President said, "Our real wealth is the young generation that can face obstacles," stressing that Tunisia, which is mired in a social and political crisis, does not lack resources, but rather "national will."

In the same context, he stressed that, "We are proud of our Tunisian youth and brains around the world."

Several thousand engineers leave Tunisia every year to work abroad. The Challenge ONE satellite project team was supported in particular by Tunisian expatriate engineers, one of whom participated in NASA's recent mission to Mars. 

"It's really a dream that comes true," explained TELNET's project manager, Anis Youssef, a few days before the launch.

This satellite aims to meet the growing need for satellite communication, as less than 20 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by the terrestrial internet. 

“This is a big problem for agriculture or internet-connected vehicles,” said Ahmed El-Fadhel, an aeronautical engineer based in Belgium and president of the Tunisian Aerospace Association.

 

Technological Improvement

According to TELNET, the Challenge ONE satellite has a capacity to transmit 250 kilobytes of data per second at an altitude of 550 kilometers.

TELNET plans to launch a constellation of more than 20 satellites in 3 years, in partnership with other African countries, in order to commercially exploit this technology. 

"This paves the way for opening an innovative service to the region in a rapidly expanding field," TELNET CEO Mohamed Freikha told AFP.

Besides technological progress, he emphasized " to open up local employment prospects for Tunisian engineers". 

"Job opportunities exist in Tunisia," says engineer Triki. "But the problem lies in enticing young engineers to stay in the country." 

And she added, "The economic system must create opportunities to motivate young people, so that they have other concerns related to achieving their ambitions, but also better social conditions."

Tunisia, which has been severely affected by the social repercussions of the Covid-19 epidemic (Corona), is paralyzed by a political crisis and affected by many social movements, which pushes young people to leave the country, whether legally or through illegal immigration, according to’’ Le Monde.’’