Poverty-stricken Ethiopia launches $3million SPACE programme... despite taking £300million in aid from the UK

August 29, 2015 | By John Stevens, Political Reporter for the Daily Mail and Victoria Woollaston for MailOnline

• It is hoped the scheme, which includes two large telescopes perched on top of Mount Entoto, will increase the country's development
• Ethiopian astronomers have been criticised for developing a programme when the country remains poor and malnourished
• But the government believes it will boost farming and communications

Ethiopia, which is receiving £300 million in British aid this year and is one of the world’s poorest nations, is launching its own space programme.

The East African country plans a national space agency and aims to put a satellite into orbit within five years to monitor farmland and to improve communications.

It is the fourth nation – following India, Nigeria and Pakistan – to have developed a space programme while in receipt of aid from the Department for International Development (DfID).

India, due to receive £160million from Britain this year, has sent unmanned missions to Mars and the moon.
 

Ethiopia’s programme has begun with a $3million (£1.9million) observatory in the hills above the capital Addis Ababa. 

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE