Simon Bolivar Satellite, Technological sovereignty with social sense

Caracas, Distrito Capital
Caracas, Aug 25 ABN.- Those who are involved in the realization of the fact, which as of today was just a project, define it as a decisive instrument for the inclusion of isolated communities and a relevant saving in matters of telecommunications for the State.

Some say that the space issue is complex, even more for those who have never ventured into the matter. Venezuela did not frighten before this assumption and, along with the Republic of China, started on the first of many projects which will fill its space program: the creation of the Simon Bolivar Satellite.

The initiative is a result of the necessity to reach a real technological independence and sovereignty, which guarantees Venezuela the possibility to count with an efficient satellite device and completely of its own.

The levels of interaction offered by this technological tool will vary depending on the level of complexity in the projects to be carried out by satellite. The platform will be available in a few months and the most sophisticated systems in matters of communications will be within the reach of all Venezuelans, without social distinction nor geographical hindrance.

Such connection will shorten the distance in the nation, such sovereignty will give more presence to the State in every corner of the country. An amount of 241 million dollars invested and the decisive Chinese cooperation will make possible this scenery.

Five years of development

Since President Hugo Chávez Frías assumed Presidency, he announced that the country would enter in the development of space activities.

The talks to find international cooperation began in 2002, but it was in 2003 when came into effect an agreement with the Republic of China, a country that not only provided technology transfer but also the actual possibility to assemble our first telecommunications satellite.

In that moment started to be created the application programs and it was necessary to create an institution to handle with it, which was firstly named Venezuelan Space Center (CEV, Spanish acronym). Further on, as the exigence increased, it was relevant to create an agency, which was denominated Bolivarian Space Activity Agency (ABAE, for its Spanish acronym).

This way, late in 2006, the Program Venesat-I started and as part of it began to be created the Simon Bolivar Satellite, currently very near of its blastoff after several tryouts and checks. If the atmospheric conditions are convenient, next November 1st the satellite will be on the space.

Nevertheless, the satellite is not the only thing in the ABAE's agenda right now. Other international agreements with India, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, France and China, this one the main ally in space matters, are part of the tasks it deals with, always with two clear goals: technology exchange and staff training.

A social satellite

The justification of the project is to make use of telecommunications in order to support the State and foster social inclusion.

'It is not focused on commercial ends, but on providing a service to the communities which have never enjoyed a modern communication system.'

The above statement was issued by ABAE's technical manager, Rodolfo Navarro, who affirms that the city people who have their connection granted in virtue of already existing infrastructure will not directly notice the impact.

'It is merely social; the beneficiaries will be those who have never had that possibility,' he stated.

Navarro explained that isolated communities which not counted with services of electric wiring or optical fiber will be benefited with the satellite connection. He also detailed that through the simple installation of a parabolic antenna, the populations deprived of communication will count with telephone lines.

Among the programs to be carried out with the Simon Bolivar Satellite highlight the programs of Teleducacion (Telecommunication Education) and Telemedicina (Telecommunication Medicine), addressed to give educative training and medical care to the communities far from populated centers.

'Aboriginal communities, for instance, would receive long-distance education or maybe they would request medicines, air or river ambulance service, medical check-ups, among other options,' he detailed.

Therefore, Information Centers and Bolivarian Centers of Informatics and Telematics (CEBIT, Spanish acronym) will also be benefited, since many of these units are already spread in different places of Venezuela but they do not have the required connection to work out.

In virtue of the versatility of the satellite and the several fields of action it embraces, Navarro stressed that the ABAE will not carry out the projects exclusively.

'We give our services, we make available the connection and we even have prototypes to show what can be done and its impact on communities. But it is necessary to work jointly to the ministries of Health, Education, Higher Education, Infrastructure, among others, as well as with the telephone company CANTV, which is in charge of providing the equipments which will receive the signal,' he explained.

For the integration of Latin America

Rodolfo Navarro explained that there has been chosen a geostationary orbit for the Simon Bolivar Satellite, it is to say, an area of the space always positioned on the same point of the earth globe, from where the device rotates at the same angular speed of the Earth.

Since such orbit belongs to Uruguay, by means of an agreement with Venezuela, the satellite will occupy it on condition that both countries can use it.

'We assumed all the expenses of the installation of the two terrene stations -one in Guarico state and the other in Bolivar state-, the staff training and the development of the satellite itself; while they provided the orbit and enjoy even 10% of the communicational capacity of the Simon Bolivar satellite,' he said.

Moreover, the satellite covers a large space of the globe, which is called footprint. Thus, not only Uruguay will enjoy the benefits, but also the whole area that embraces such footprint: the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America.

'All this territory is covered, but remember that it is necessary the receiver sets and previous agreements with Venezuela, of course,' he added.

The representative of the ABAE agency explained that for all these nations is essential the negotiation and, above all, the proof that it is really needed the satellite connection. On the other hand, the aim will always be social.

Although all the cases require a previous request, the difference between Uruguay and the remaining benefited Latin American countries resides in that the first one has already acquired its right, while the others have to achieve it and justify it.

'It is a great step towards the Latin American integration; we have granted not only the domestic communications but also among the sister nations in actual time and without paying to foreign satellite service providers,' he stated.

Next goal: Observing the Earth

Ten days are needed for the satellite, once launched, to be positioned at the correct place. Then, it will be developed a series of safety mechanisms and communication proofs, an essential process for the Simon Bolivar satellite to be completely effective by next February.

Its service life will end within 15 years approximately, but its descent to Earth is already foreseen, aiming to contribute with the rescue of technological trash to which the United Nations Organization has urged. As a matter of fact, at least a thousand satellites, out of 5,500 launched to the space, are operating. The rest are space trash.

Nevertheless, it will not be the only space achievement for Venezuela. There are many other satellites in which the State will work in the future, among them one to observe the Earth, foreseen for the year 2013. This time is expected to assemble it in Venezuela with national work force.

Here on, it is envisaged to build and launch monitoring satellites, in order to watch oil, minerals and sown fields; in order to control deforestation and burning of trees; in order to supervise the urban and population growth; among other safety aims of the State.

'The Simon Bolivar satellite addresses to telecommunications, but these technological tools can be used for many other purposes, and we will be working on it, in projects devised to other areas,' Rodolfo Navarro stressed.

In that regard, he affirmed that it constitutes only the first step towards the sovereignty of telecommunications and the Latin American integration, as well as he described as 'plentiful' this initial stage of technological growth.

'We come up to the level of the club of 62 countries that somehow work on space activity. We are quite a way from being the foremost, but we are on the way. We can affirm that we are the country with the fastest development in satellite matters,' he affirmed.