Chinese Government provides RMB 146 million grant for Egyptian Satellite Assembly, Integration and Testing Center Project (Linked to Record ID#65874, ID#59801, ID#65871, and ID#65872)

Project narrative

On January 16, 2016, China's Ministry of Commerce signed an agreement with Egypt's National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space (NARSS) to implement the Egyptian Satellite Assembly, Integration and Testing Center Project. Then, in March 2017, the Chinese Government and the Government of Egypt signed an exchange of letters, committing RMB 146 million ($23 million) for the Egyptian Satellite Assembly, Integration and Testing Center Project. The purpose of this project was to construct a satellite assembly, integration, and testing center (also known as the New Cairo space control station) in New Cairo City, with a construction area of approximately 6,400 m^2. The project site occupies 100 acres of land, which were originally designated for the EgyptSat 2 Project (captured in Record ID#65871). The center includes rooms for satellite assembly, integration, and testing. This project also involved the training of Egyptian personnel at the new center. Chinese technical personnel were responsible for installing and debugging all of the new equipment that was provided to the center. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Academy of Space Technology, China Great Wall Industry Corporation, and Beijing Satellite Environmental Engineering Institute were the contractors responsible for the design and implementation of the project. On March 15, 2017, Beijing Satellite Environment Engineering Institute approved the final design plans for the center. Then, on January 23, 2018, all scheduled training of Egyptian personnel — after a two and a half month training program — were completed. On September 8, 2019, the project was officially completed. On the same day the EgyptSat 2 (MisrSat II) Project was officially launched (see Record ID#65871).