Egyptian Space Authority: EgyptSat Two Satellite is under Full Control

Egyptian EgyptSat 2 satellite, operating in orbit, is under the full control of the Egyptian experts, head of country’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS) asserted to Sputnik Saturday.

On Thursday, the Russian Izvestiya newspaper reported, citing a source in the RSC Energia (Russian rocket and space corporation), that EgyptSat 2 on April 14 did not respond to commands from the Earth and control over the satellite was lost.

Human factor was cited as the possible cause behind the loss of the satellite.

“What was reported about is in fact a regular technical failure. It happens every now and then to all the satellites. The problem will be fixed in the next few hours,” Medhat Mokhtar said.

He explained that “any failure in control of satellite begins with absence of response to commands from Earth,” adding that “the low battery could be the problem, but it will be fixed and control will be fully restored.”

EgyptSat 2, Egypt’s second remote sensing Earth observation satellite constructed by RSC Energia and NARSS, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 16, 2014.

In January 2015, the control over the satellite was handed over to the Egyptian specialists.

The satellite takes pictures of the planet in the visible and infrared spectrum in panchromatic and multispectral modes.