DAR ES SALAAM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan revealed Thursday that plans were underway to launch the East African nation's own satellite into space.
Tanzania will join neighboring Kenya and Uganda which have developed and launched satellites into space in the past six months.
Launching a digital terrestrial television for Azam Media, the country's leading private media house in Dar es Salaam, President Hassan said negotiations for the launch of the satellite into space have begun.
According to reports, Kenya in April sent into space its first observation satellite onboard a SpaceX rocket from the United States, which is capable of collecting agricultural and environmental data, including floods, droughts and wildfires, which authorities plan to use for disaster management and combat food insecurity.
Uganda launched its first-ever satellite into the international space station last year. ■
