Ghana’s space project under threat - Enchroachers grab more than 80% of land

The Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory project situated at Kutunse in the Greater Accra Region, to enable scientists from around the world to view and study the universe from within the country, is under threat from encroachers, limiting the range at which the telescopes can capture images and share with the world.

The 163-acre land acquired by the state in 1979, through an Executive Instrument, has now been reduced to 30 acres with threats from indigenes to invade the main facility.

Despite documentary evidence produced by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) from the Lands Commission to show that compensations had been paid to the rightful owners, some irate youth would not barge, threatening to take “what belongs to them.”

Sequel to that, the government had beefed up security with the deployment of more military personnel to provide protection for workers constructing a GH¢1 million wall to protect the remaining land.

The wall, which caters for 20 acres of the land, is to complement an already 10 acres of defence wall built by an American Satellites Communication Company, Viasat, under an arrangement with Ghana, to site a satellites facility within the company to aid the world of space technology.

The Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory is the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, apart from South Africa. The site has a 32-metre radio telescope, 16-metre and nine-metre telescopes respectively.

It was launched in 2017 by former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, covering the frequency range of 4-8 gigahertz (a unit of frequency equal to one million hertz) with a single 32-metre dish covered from a satellites communication Earth station antenna.

It was built with the purpose of deepening knowledge and skills development in electronics and information and communication technology for Ghanaian scientists but also enhance their capacity to contribute to the world body of knowledge in the ever-expanding field of astronomy and space science.

Challenge

In an interview with the Manager of the Real Time Earth Station under GAEC, Obrimpong Toku Dum VIII, after a tour of the area, he said due to the encroachment, the telescopes could not see beyond 10 metres.

The dish

He said as a result of the buildings and the use of some home appliances, including blenders and microwaves, the equipment was unable to “see” clearly to share with the rest of the world.

Obrimpong Dum, a research scientist and the Chief of Assin Asamankese in the Central Region, is worried that Ghana could disappoint the world after being favoured ahead of some giant countries for the station to be built.

Ghana in partnership with eight other countries from the continent lobbied for the project to be brought to Ghana ahead of Australia.

The USA chose Ghana because of its central location and position to the equator which could benefit the entire world as a source of space technology information.

“The encroachment has been rampant over the last seven years because of the good nature of roads connecting the main junction to the site.

“We had little encroachment in the early days because the road was that bad. I remember one could spend about an hour from the junction to the site. But now it takes less than 15 minutes.

I think the good road has been a curse rather than a blessing to the project,” he lamented.

His sentiments were corroborated by the Director, Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute, Dr Joseph Tandoh, who called for swift action not to disrupt the programme and drain Ghana’s foreign income from the project.

Ghana benefits financially by allowing itself to be used as the centre for “world information” and contributing to space technology.

“We risk losing out if we don’t protect the rest of the lands and do more to expand knowledge in the field,” Dr Tandoh said.