Bolivia to launch satellite into space

Impoverished South American country creates space agency to build and launch satellite with Chinese help

An unlikely newcomer is about to make the final frontier a little more crowded: Bolivia is to launch a satellite into space.

The impoverished South American country, famed more for llamas and Andean peaks than technology, has created a space agency to build and launch a satellite with Chinese help.

Named after Túpac Katari, an Aymara Indian leader who fought Spanish colonialists, the satellite is intended to improve communication in rural areas and boost indigenous pride.