Algeria national space programs

Adopted by the Algerian Government on November 28, 2006 and spanning 15 years (2006–2020), with a review every 5 years, the National Space Program (NSP) is the reference instrument for space policy of Algeria. Algeria's objectives is to make of space tools a powerfull instrument in national prosperity in the fields of earth observation ,meteorology and communications .

The "Alsat program " is a constellation of Algerian earth observation satellites operated by the Algerian Space Agency.

Algeria has three (03) operational units and one (01) retired mission .

Alsat-1 is the first earth observation satellite of Algeria . its principal mission is monitoring natural resources . it was a Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) satellite that is developed and coordinated by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL).

The satellite is a 60-centimeter cube, and weighs about 92 kilograms. The imaging system covers the green, red, and the near infrared, at a resolution of 32 meters.

It was placed in orbit by a kosmos-3M launch vehicle from the Russian cosmodrome of Plessetsk, on 28 November 2002. Its orbit is heliosynchronous at an altitude of about 700 kilometers with orbital inclination of 98°.

Its first images were received on December 17, 2002 at the reception stations of the Center of space technics (Centre national des techniques spatiales CNTS) at Arzew, Algeria. Alsat-1 completed its mission on 15 August 2010.

On February 1, 2006, EADS Astrium announced the signature of a contract for the realisation of two (02) satellites (Alsat-2A et Alsat-2B) of the Alsat-2 Program. The Alsat-2 program includes also the establishment of two ground control segments and an image terminal to control and pilot the satellites from Algerian territory.

Alsat-2A is a high resolution earth observation satellite, it was integrated and tested in France, at the d'EADS Astrium workshops with participation of 29 Algerian engineers. It was launched by a PSLV launch vehicle on 12 July 2010 . with a resolution of 2.5m in panchromatic mode and of 10 m in multispectral mode, it provides satellite images for multiple applications such as topography, agriculture, cartography, protection of the environment).

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