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Chile's first satellite, built and designed by engineers at Surrey University, was launched into space from a site in Russia earlier this week.

Ed Milton, general manager of the University's Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, said it cost Chile a mere Pounds 3 million to have its own space programme compared to huge sums spent by countries such as the United States. The cost includes training eight engineers and scientists and building a ground-control station in Santiago, Chile.

Called FASat-Alfa, the satellite will take photographs of earth to monitor weather and disaster patterns such as hurricanes, flooding, forest fires and volcanic activity.