Venezuela enhances technological, satellite capacities

Since 2003, Venezuela has enhanced its technological, human resource and knowledge capacities to continue dabbling in the peaceful use of outer space, said the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Manuel Fernandez. He emphasized that flow of 35 Venezuelan engineers to China to be educated and trained in the area of satellite design, closes a cycle that reinforces the sovereign satellite program, "which was a dream and personal commitment of Supreme Commander Hugo Chavez". During the ceremony the delegation of workers from the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE, Spanish abbreviation), led by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the minister mentioned the main elements that place Venezuela at the vanguard in the satellite field, the official Venezuelan AVN news agency reported. "Venezuela has the ABAE institutional structure, which was the first to be established, two satellites in space and now will have a small satellite factory. Now it has the integrated human talent, which really makes these achievements irreversible," said Fernandez. He explained that the first group of 35 Venezuelans traveling to China this Saturday, will receive training in the area of design, and then in three or four weeks, another four ABAE engineers will travel for a total of 39 people, while other 21 will travel next August for assembly training and testing. "These 60 engineers coming from different Venezuelan universities will return in late December and early January when the small satellite factory is ready, so that together with the Chinese enter into the final stage and commissioning of that plant," said minister. The small satellite factory, built in Borburata, Carabobo state, will be a center for research of materials, energy, performance, remote management and telemetry. "It will have many applications. It shall be a school that will give knowledge and launched satellites shortly will be assembled in Venezuela," Fernandez said recently during a factory inspection.