Algerian Radio
General of the Army Saïd Chanegriha, Delegate Minister to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of the People's National Army (PNA), oversaw the launch operation of the second satellite, Alsat-3B, on Saturday from the ground remote sensing station. This launch follows that of Alsat-3A, according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defence (MDN).
"As part of the continued consolidation and development of national capabilities in the field of space surveillance, and finalizing the architecture of the Alsat-3 high-resolution earth observation system, General of the Army Saïd Chanegriha, Delegate Minister to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, oversaw the launch operation of the second satellite, Alsat-3B, this Saturday morning, January 31, 2026, at the ground remote sensing station," the source specified.
"At the outset, and following the reception ceremony hosted by Major General Ali Sidane, Commander of the 1st Military Region, General of the Army Saïd Chanegriha, Delegate Minister to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, received detailed presentations and explanations regarding the Alsat-3B satellite. This took place in the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, the Director of the Algerian Space Agency, as well as department heads and central directors from the Ministry of National Defence and the PNA General Staff."
"The General of the Army then watched the launch operation of the Alsat-3B satellite at 5:01 AM (local time) / 12:01 PM (China time). This follows the successful launch of the Alsat-3A satellite on January 15th from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China," the statement added.
"This launch operation, the second of its kind in less than a month, was crowned with complete success. It constitutes a major achievement as well as a new milestone in the process of building a new and triumphant Algeria."
"Subsequently, the General of the Army delivered a speech in which he conveyed to the audience the congratulations and encouragement of the President of the Republic, who closely followed every stage of the preparation and implementation of this project, which serves as a source of pride for the entire Algerian people," noted the MDN.
"Following the successful launch of the Alsat-3B satellite that we have just witnessed this morning, Saturday, January 31, 2026—which comes after that of the Alsat-3A satellite executed on January 15th—it is my pleasure to convey to you the congratulations and encouragement of Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Minister of National Defence. He has granted particular interest to this project and closely followed all stages of preparation and implementation of such achievements," declared General of the Army Saïd Chanegriha.
"I also wish to express, on my own behalf, my warmest congratulations to the executives and staff of the Algerian Space Agency, as well as to the various services and experts of the People's National Army who contributed to the realization of these projects. I urge all concerned parties to leverage the knowledge and experience acquired to ensure perfect mastery of these satellites, not only regarding the operation and control of their components but also regarding the continued development of space technologies in Algeria," emphasized the General of the Army.
"These major achievements constitute, moreover, a new stage in the process of building a new and triumphant Algeria. This is evidenced, for example, by what we will witness tomorrow at Gara Djebilet, with the inauguration of the railway line connecting Béchar and Tindouf. This line will contribute significantly to the exploitation of this important mine and will thus reflect the true image of an emerging Algeria, sovereign in its choices and decisions," he continued.
"At the conclusion, the General of the Army expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Excellency the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China for the sincere commitment shown by the People's Republic of China to cooperation with our country, whether for the realization of this ambitious project or the various structural projects contributing to the country's development momentum."
"At the end of this visit, the General of the Army, Delegate Minister to the Minister of National Defence and Chief of Staff of the PNA, signed the Guest Book of the Remote Sensing Ground Station," concludes the MDN statement.
