With private players gaining easy accessibility to satellite data, India's Space Commission is working on a comprehensive legal document on issues related to outer space to ensure that internal security is not endangered, informed Mr. G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation and Space Commission. "Remote sensing satellites are focusing on all important installations and a number of agencies like Google Earth are buying such data and placing it in the public domain, which can be a potential danger to internal security," said Mr. Nair.
www.hindu.com

The Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a contract agreement for the construction of the nation's second Earth observation satellite with British firm Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL). The new satellite which is named NigeriaSat-2 brings to three the number of satellite projects the nation has embarked on since 2001 when it began a space programme through the establishment of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). When it goes into orbit the satellite will send down 32-metre high resolution imaging data for various applications in mapping.
www.vanguardngr.com

Egyptian Higher Education Minister Mr. Hani Hillal said that Egypt, in cooperation with Ukraine, will launch a scientific satellite by the end of 2007 in Kazakhstan, the official news agency MENA reported. The satellite, named as Egyptsat 1, will be launched from Kazakhstan. Egyptsat 1 will carry two remote sensing devices -- an infrared one and a multi-spectrum one, according to an earlier MENA report. Egyptsat 1, once launched, will be the country's first satellite for scientific research. http://news.xinhuanet.com