The Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria( FUTA), and it Scientific and Technological Prowess gets much bigger today at 9:55 GMT (10:55pm Nigerian Time), when the SPACEX falcon9 Rocket launches BIRD 1 satelites, comprising 5 CubeSats belonging to Japan, Ghana, Bangladesh , Mongolia ,Nigeria into space from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. The Nigerian CubeSat, code name NigeriaEdusat-1, is designed, built, and owned by the Nigerian Federal University of Technology , Akure (FUTA) in collaboration with the National Space research and Development Agency (NASDRA) Abuja, Nigeria and kyushu Institute of Technology(kyutech), japan. Mr Ibukun Adebolu of FUTA's Department of Mechanical Engineering is the representative of Nigeria on the project. Adebolu, who is involved in the Structure Configuration Design, Birds Project gives details of his role on the project,

"My role in the Birds' Project is Structure Design. Drawing on my background in Mechanical Engineering, i am saddled with the task of ensuring that our satellites have sufficient strength and rigidity to survive the rigorous launch and space environment. In other to achieve this, i have to ensure that all payload and bus System are properly accommodated within the 10 cubic centimeter structure. I find this very challenging, because it involves a lot of optimization and tradeoffs. In the future, i hope to work more on other aspects of satellite design" 

It is the first ever university satellite to be launched in Nigeria. The CubeSats will be launched and docked to the International Space Station where the satellites will be deployed into lower orbit later today.

the launch procedures can be watched at 9:55 GMT, below.

All this is probably very exciting right? The big question is what would Nigerians Gain from This?