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Japan Assigns Egyptian Engineer to Launch Satellite to Moon


Fri 28 Dec 2018 | 02:34 PM
Ibrahim Eldeeb

By : Ibrahim Eldeeb and Hassan El-Khawaga

CAIRO, Dec. 28 (SEE) -One day, an Egyptian Engineer was asked by Japan to form a company to build the first Japanese satellite to land on the moon surface.

Dr. Mohamed Ragab traveled to Tokyo years ago to continue his studies in mechanics after he got a doctoral degree from France.

In statements to SEE, Ragab said that he had formed a team from 24 experts and scientists from worldwide and could reach a preliminary design for the satellite and started in buying its components which not all of them are being manufactured in Japan.

"Japan also assigned the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to build the same satellite but our company has a greater chance to win the competition with a high percent," he added.

"The goal of launching the satellite is to take photos and videos with high quality and send them to the earth," Ragab pointed out, adding that a 4-kg-robot, with four cameras, had been designed to walk for a half kilometer on the surface of the moon.

Regarding the cost, he said that the cost of one-kilometer-distance that the satellite and robot walk is worth $2.5 million, noting that the launch process will be carried out on two phases which means the cost will be double.

Ragab is Vice President of Spacecraft Development for ispace. He earned his Dr-Ing degree in Aerospace Engineering from ISAE-SUPAERO, having developed his thesis at the CNES in Toulouse, France. Dr. Ragab has over 30 years of experience in the U.S. aerospace industry including composite aircraft development and space systems development and operations.