The issue of space sovereignty is a topic of debate all over the world. Many countries refuse to keep satellites in space, which orbit the Earth and the flow of information transmitted and generated. However, this opportunity does not come in most countries.
The history of Argentine satellites dates back to January 1990, when an Ariane rocket launched the small Lusat 1 rocket into orbit, becoming the first Argentine object in space. The credit for this achievement goes to the radio amateurs of the Argentine branch of AMSAT. According to information provided by the UCS (National Non-Profit Organization), Argentina is the Latin American country with the largest number of satellites in orbit. We count their number and everything is there to find out.
How many satellites in Argentina?
With 39 satellites in orbit, Argentina ranks first in Latin America and tenth in the world. This number includes satellites manufactured in the country and two satellites operated by CONAE (National Space Activities Committee) or private companies.
For reference, the country with the largest number of satellites in orbit is the United States, with approximately 1,897. China follows, with 316 active satellites, and France, which currently has 164 active satellites. Russia has 146 satellites and India has 124 satellites. Spain has a total of 29 satellites.
In Latin America, it comes after Argentina Brazil with 17 satellites and Mexico with 7 satellites. Chile is fourth with 4 and Venezuela with 2.. Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia currently have one satellite in operation.
History of satellites in Argentina
CONAE is the agency that manages space activities in Argentina
In Argentina, the history of satellites began in 1990 with the first Argentine satellite, Luzad I, made by radio amateurs. From there, several satellites such as SAC-B (astronomy-1996), SAC-A (technical validation-1998), SAC-C (environmental monitoring-2000), and SAC-D (environmental monitoring-2011) followed each other. . ARSAT-1 and 2 (Telecommunications-2014-2015) and SAOCOM-1A (Environmental Monitoring-2018).
The first satellite, SAC-B, had launch problems in 1996 and could not be put into orbit. The next SAC-A launch took place in December 1998, marking the official start of Argentine spaceflight. SAC-C was later launched in November 2000 and was the first Earth observation satellite in the country, and has been in operation for 13 years.
In 2011, the SAC-D Aquarius satellite was launched, making it possible to measure ocean surface salinity for the first time and provide important data on climate and atmosphere. In 2007, Kumahu National University launched an educational satellite called Behuensat-1.
The Arsat series of satellites began in 2014 with Arsat-1, providing telecommunications services to Argentina and neighboring countries. Arsat-2 was launched in 2015 and has expanded telecommunications radio frequency coverage in the continental United States. In 2018, the last Argentine satellite, SAOCOM-1A, was dedicated to environmental monitoring and was developed by Argentina as part of the national space programme. CONAE (National Committee for Space Activities) is responsible for the operation and distribution of the images produced by the satellite. This work is one of the most challenging art projects to be undertaken in the country.
