Experts from Russian rocket-space enterprise RSC Energia have been able to re-establish communication with the Angosat satellite, a few days after losing contact with the probe following its launch.

Angosat was put into its planned orbit on time and established communications with its ground station, but it stopped transmitting telemetry data after some time.

RSC Energia said in a statement: “RSC Energia specialists have received telemetry data from Angosat spacecraft which was launched on 26 December by an integrated launch vehicle Zenit-3SLBF from Baikonur cosmodrome.

“Telemetry data have been received from the satellite, which show that all parameters of the onboard systems of the spacecraft are within nominal range.”

“Telemetry data have been received from the satellite, which show that all parameters of the onboard systems of the spacecraft are within nominal range.”

Angosat is the first satellite of Angola and was developed by RSC Energia under a contract with Angola’s Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technologies.

Russia’s state-owned agency Roscosmos was also involved in the development of the satellite, which is equipped with an electric propulsion system that enables a slow ascent of the spacecraft to its final orbit if required and corrections of its orbital position.

Manufacturing of the satellite was based on a new spacecraft bus that features components made in Russia.

The 2,647kg satellite is designed to provide broadcast and communications coverage in C and Ku bands over Angola and the entire African continent.