Ethiopia is building a rocket launching station in Tigrai state

Tigrai Online December 31, 2014

Ethiopia is building a rocket launching station in Tigrai state similar to the above photo

According to the Ethiopian News Agency, Ethiopia is building a rocket launching station in Tigrai state.  In addition to the launching station two underground stations to help with testing and other preparations are being built at the same time.

The station will be able to launch rockets up to 30 kilometers in to space. The manager of the project Engineer Mulualem HialeMariam stated there are sixty engineers working 24 hours to complete the project successfully. Testing of the system of the rocket will be finalized in the underground stations at the end of July.

The project is called Alpha Meles named after the late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

Mekelle Institute of Technology, Mesfin Industrial Engineering,  Mesebo Cement factory, local private companies and the Metals, Engineering Corporation and private companies are involved on designing and manufacturing of different parts of the station.

Last year Ethiopia officially announced it has established a apace program in order to launch it's own satellites to space. The Entoto Observatory and Research Center was established by 32 public universities in 2013. There are other observatories and research centers in other parts of Ethiopia related to space and space studies.