Looks like Simón Bolívar will have even more company in orbit. In addition to his Bolivian and Ecuadorian counterparts, he’s going to be joined by another Venezuelan satellite, named after another independence hero:
The new satellite, “Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda”, represents a great leap for the development of technological independence in Venezuela, said president Hugo Chávez.
During a meeting with engineers who will be traveling to China to prepare for the project of building the second Venezuelan satellite, the head of state added that this would also aid scientific, human and economic development in Venezuela.
“When we talk about science and technology, we are talking about an instrument of integral development for the country,” Chávez said.
The Popular Power Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Jorge Arreaza, said that VRSS-1, the new Earth-observation satellite, could enter orbit in September or October of this year.
In October 2008, the Venezuelan government launched its first satellite in the history of the country, Simón Bolívar, which serves in telephonic, information and Internet access among other things, above all in remote locations with low population density. It has also enabled the consolidation of social programs by the National Executive.
Translation mine.
Of course, the lamestream media are probably gonna paint this one as a spy satellite, too, and further evidence that those evil commie Venezuelans are in cahoots with those eviler, commier Chinese. I can only look at their uncritical coverage of Harpo’s latest trade mission over there and shake my head. And note in passing that we so-called freedom-loving North Americans have done absolutely nothing to help our Venezuelan counterparts develop technologically, and that our lovely corporate press really must learn to watch which side of its collective mouth it talks out of.
