Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Chinese Rocket, Ethiopian Satellite

Space in Africa reported on Ethiopia's new satellite in an article dated 6 January 2020 and titled "ETRSS-1 Captures First Test Images" by Ogechi Onuoha.

On 20 December 2019, a Chinese Long March 4B rocket launched a 70 kilogram Ethiopian civil earth observation satellite to provide data to monitor the environment and study weather patterns. The first test images are now arriving.

AFP ran a story dated 2 January 2020 titled "No, It Is a Chinese Rocket Doctored with the Ethiopian Flag." It seems that social media has been carrying pictures of a Chinese rocket doctored with the Ethiopian flag and logo, suggesting that an Ethiopian rocket launched the satellite. Although probably all in good fun, it was a Chinese rocket.