South Africa’s controversial (and missing) spy satellite might be launched from a pad in Kazakhstan tomorrow morning, if the Democratic Alliance is correct in its assumptions.

According to a DA statement, the Russian Federal Space Agency announced that a Kondor-E “earth observation satellite” will be launched tomorrow (Thursday) from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by means of a Strela rocket at around breakfast time.

The satellite being launched is of the same make as the billion rand satellite that mysteriously disappeared in the beginning of the year.

“We cannot be sure, but the Kondor-E satellite, which will be launched at 06h55 South African Time, may be Defence Intelligence’s secret Russian Kondor-E spy satellite, developed under Project Flute,” the DA said in a statement.

The DA explained that the so-called Project Flute refers to Defence Intelligence’s secret R1.4 billion contract with Russian company NPO Mashinostroyenia to develop a Kondor-E radar imaging satellite, which was signed on 19 May 2006.

“We do not have all the facts about “Project Flute”. However, we do know the following:

Project Name: “Project Flute” (“Consolidated Project Flute”)

Project Description: To develop a Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, called the Kondor-E, capable of seeing at night and through cloud cover, for Defence Intelligence

Project Cost: +/- R1.4 billion

Contracting Company: NPO Mashinostroyenia

Contract Number: No. 710/303/060001

Contract Date: 19 May 2006

According to Russian Space Web, the launch of the satellite also poses a question of where it will be controlled from – or whether South Africa even built a ground control station.

“It is still unclear where exactly the ground station for Kondor-E was located in South Africa or even whether it had ever been built. Two best candidate sites are Hartesbeeshoek facility operated by South African National Space Agency, SANSA, and the Overberg Test Range near Arniston, operated by a South African industrial group Denel.”