Botswana satellite project (BOTSAT 1) first phase, a ground communication station was commissioned in Palapye on Tuesday this week. The ground communication station is the key component of the satellite space programme which upon commissioning will start receiving data from other existing satellites. Started by BIUST in 2020, the project is central to the design of a cube satellite envisaged to go into space next year. Once it is in space, BOTSAT 1 is expected to generate useful satellite data to solve agricultural and tourism industry challenges, as well as influence smart farming and real-time virtual tourism.