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Syria to develop space programme and build satellite

Syria's Ministry of Communications and Technology has announced that it will now look to actively develop its space programme and build its first satellite.

Syria is looking to develop its space programme and launch its first satellite into orbit, the Syrian Minister of Communications and Technology Iyad Khatib announced, according to press reports.

The minister announced this at the Syrian space research agency GORS (General Organization of Remote Sensing), where he met with its management and staff, who presented their projects to Khatib.

“GORS should develop a road map for the Syrian space programme, as well as for the launch of the first artificial satellite into Earth’s orbit, like other Arab countries,” the minister said.

According to Khatib, the creation of the satellite will be one of the ministry’s main goals.

Although Syria did establish a space agency as far back as 2014, this is the first official announcement about the country’s plans to develop its space programme.

A number of countries in the Arab world have already launched their own satellites into orbit including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Algeria, Qatar and Iraq.