By Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), MP Namal Rajapaksa said that the rochet launched by his brother Rohitha was a private investment.
As India launched spacecraft Chndrayann’ many have started talking about the Rohitha Rajapaksa rocket often referred to as ‘Chichiyann(Rohitha’s nickname is’ Chichi’).
Rohitha Rajapaksa, the youngest son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, played a key role in the launch of Sri Lanka’s first satellite, SupremeSat I.
The satellite was launched on November 27, 2012, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China.
SupremeSAT is a private company founded in 2010 by Rohitha Rajapaksa and a group of investors. The company partnered with the China Great Wall Industry Corporation to launch the satellite.
The SupremeSat I is a communications satellite that is designed to provide a variety of services to Sri Lanka, including broadband internet, telecommunications, and broadcasting.
SupremeSat I is no longer functional. It was decommissioned in 2020 after its mission life expired. The satellite was originally expected to last for 15 years, but it only lasted for 7 years.
Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said that while India had spent only USD 263 million for three attempts to launch the Chandrayaan spacecraft, Sri Lanka had spent USD 320 million for the launch of SupremeSAT in 2012.
Leader of the House Susil Premajayantha said he was the Minister of Science, Technology, and Research from 2015 to 2018 and that he was unaware of such a satellite being launched in Sri Lanka.
