The Zimbabwean Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technological Development, Reymore Machingura, and Roscosmos deputy director general Oleg Frolov signed the agreement in Moscow. In addition, ZINGSA acting director Pianos Gweme also accompanied the signing.
The parties discussed the perspectives of the Russian-Zimbabwean cooperation in the field of Earth remote sensing from space during the meeting. They also discussed training specialists for the space industry. The meeting consequently resulted in the MoU between both parties on cooperation in research and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
During the visit to Moscow, the Republic of Zimbabwe’s delegation visited the Russian rocket and space industry enterprises. They also visited the Russian Space Systems-Scientific Center for Earth Operational Monitoring, NPO Lavochkin and the TsNIIMash Mission Control Center.
Zimbabwe launched its space agency in July 2018 and has the mandate to enhance Zimbabwe’s capability to harness space technologies. The country also recently announced plans to launch its first satellite in 2022. Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, disclosed that the locally assembled nanosatellite – ZIMSAT-1 – has reached an advanced development stage. The President disclosed this at the launching of a new complex for the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA). In addition, flight readiness and review will occur in December 2021, and its launch in Japan in February 2022.
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