Venezuela: The Launch of the Simón Bolívar Satellite

After three years in the making, the government of Venezuela placed a geostationary satellite into orbit. Launched from China, the satellite will be used for telecommunications projects for the country and for Latin America. The Simón Bolivar satellite, named for the national liberator, will be in operation for 15 years and will serve for connectivity, telephone and television transmissions around the southern continent that have depended on the infrastructure of the United States.

For hours, Venezuelan bloggers watched the transmission on the state television channel, while the rocket was launched. They also watched President Hugo Chávez take advantage of the event to campaign politically for his candidates running for local mayors and governors in the November 23 elections. The satellite, as are all political events, is a symbol for discussion.

Yosmary de Rausseo [es] republished the official information, the launch videos, and accompanied the note with the following message, “Long live the Bolivarian Revolution and the advanced policies of Hugo Chávez.”

On his blog, Horacio of UnoConTodo [es] is reminded that the country still has a lot of social debts that have not been resolved and that it a “satellite for an elite” He also shows a photograph of a 5-year-old child searching for food in the garbage.

Guillermo Amador also writes about the changes that will tkae place in the country as a result of the satellite, and that soon there will be local names like Space Shuttle Arepa 3000, in reference to the music video of the band Los Amigos Invisibles. Guillermo hopes that the satellite will be “run by the most prepared, and not by the most loyal and “committed [es] ” in the government so that it does not go to waste.

Romulo Rodriguez, an astronomy blogger [es], approved of the launch and wrote that Venezuelan technicians were trained to control the satellite. He sees it as a positive thing that television signals will reach more people, even if they are state-run channels.

To end, humorist Laureano Márques, responded to the way that president Chávez used a scientific event for politics when he referred to his ideology and his candidates.

El Presidente afirmó: “¿Qué tiene que ver un satélite con el socialismo? Una empresa capitalista lanza un satélite para hacer dinero. Este es un acto de liberación e independencia (…) para construir el socialismo dentro de Venezuela y para cooperar con otros pueblos”, cosa que me parece extraordinaria.

Lástima que los chinos no piensen igual y hayan cobrado a Venezuela 241 millones de dólares, a los que se suman 165 millones por la construcción de las dos sedes terrestres de control.

Electores, el próximo 23 de noviembre, cuando estén solos con sus conciencias, recuerden que ahora, desde lo alto del espacio, el Libertador os contempla.

The President stated, “What does a satellite have to do with socialism? A capitalistic company launches a satellite to make money. This is an act of liberation and independence (…) to construct socialism within Venezuela and to work together with other countries,” something that I think is great.

It is a shame that the Chinese do not think the same when they charged Venezuela 241 millions of dollars, which is added to the 165 million of dollars in the construction of the two ground control sites.

Voters, on November 23 (election day), when you are alone with your conscience, remember that now, from high up in space, the Liberator is watching you.

10 comments

  • Luís Carlos … thanks for the reference … and to complete the list of “priorities” (for him) instead of resolve the most important problems of the country, the leader of some, also suggested the possibility of another and mount a satellite factory .. Now, I ask if the bicycle factory with technology “by others”(what a shame) .. Has it been successful? How many are manufactured and sold? … I have no idea …

    Bicycle factory (http://snurl.com/4wijm)

  • Will it also bring support to Cuban communication System?

  • Palomudo

    This satelite will be available to many latin American nations and will eliminate the monopoly and gouging of American satelite providers. This is not a political move but a sovereign move.

    The USA has lost the control it had in South America and now we are able to deal with China, Iran, binbanbon and whoever the hell we want!

    At the end of this month the Russian president is coming to Venezuela, the deals in the energy sector that are about to be closed will make you wet your pants!

    You (USA) roobed us for too long, go and fly a kite!

  • The short term view is that over $400 million was spent and children still search through garbage. But what will be the long term effect? It shifts the communication landscape away from the West, but does it give the children an opportunity to better their lives? That will be the true value of this shift, yet it will take many years to prove itself.

  • Frank

    Those who question the use of money for satelite and defencive weapon system are those working for the other side. They never question US launching of shuttles to nowhere even when people are committing suicide because of lost of job, losts of home, and lost of self respect in this trying time.

  • To Go

    To Global: While it is “proved itself”, the social cost continues increasing. Tell you at that child: “just wait… the revolution is coming”
    sloooooowly

  • Andrew T. Delisle

    You meane that there are no children digging in garbage in Canada or the United States?

  • Apoyo Dominican

    I hope that someday the Dominican Republic will be as independent as Venezuela from the USA. This new satelite will bring new jobs, new techologies, new desires to explore outside the box. Children digging garbage are everywehere, inclusing USA, Germany, France, or Switzerland which are the richest countries in the world. Lets work together and promote education to erase poverty. when was the last time you helped someone?

  • […] After three years in the making, the government of Venezuela placed a geostationary satellite into orbit. Launched from China, the satellite will be used for telecommunications projects for the country and for Latin America. The Simón Bolivar satellite, named for the national liberator, will be in operation for 15 years and will serve for connectivity, telephone and television transmissions around the southern continent that have depended on the infrastructure of the United States. [link] […]

  • (Google translation)
    Hello,

    HELP ME make a new launcher virtually free and we will witness a new era in space!

    QUESTION TO SPACE LAUNCHERS??

    What is the true reason for SCIENTIFIC absolutely want to continue with old pitchers and very expensive, while the new launcher is free and can be available very shortly, more problems with weight or volume??

    For taxpayers SCIENTUFIQUES prefer our old pitchers to spoil unnecessary tonnes propellant.

    I am well placed to know that no lead so far has not really interested in how to operate a new launcher quasimment free??

    Same question for our young children are involved every day in their games and decide for this new launcher??

    YET TO WHICH THE FAULT??

    George BLAZUN its status is DESIGNER INVENTOR-in in all fields of technology, proposes to run a re-launch economic space shuttle, propellant (98%) ninety-eight percent less expensive compared to the old system of 60 years from the time of Hitler.

    By the way: this time we launched already nated by the rails could still change, however, our scientists decided to still do nothing to be cheaper

    I propose the Philosopher and scientist remember the quote by analyzing word for word: “THE DAY THE SCIENCE begun to address PHENOMENA NOT PHYSICAL, IT WILL BE MORE THAN A DECADE OF PROGRESS IN THAT IN ALL THE AGES OF ITS EXISTENCE “.

    Without question, the SCIENCE convinced us that scientific research points his blindness microscope opaque side (PHENOMENA-PHYSICS), all other solutions are automatically excluded, SCIENCE indulges a time span of several centuries, while RESEARCH invention to realize potential chosen concept in real time, scientists such a solution is unattainable.

    For this concept I do not require any financial COMPESA except to keep the paternity inventive, I need one month to build up a model to be immediately operational, with this new way of launching more limited weight or volume, quasimment Free

    If you have any questions for me, do not hesitate to georgesblazun@gmail.com
    I send you my friendly greetings George Blazun

Cancel this reply

Join the conversation -> unocontodo

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.