Why Bangladesh’s unlikely satellite engineers are still waiting for liftoff

The launch of Bangladesh’s first satellite sparked an explosion of national pride and a mini space race in the country’s colleges seven years ago. Now, the local engineers who control it are wondering what’s next.

The South Asian nation’s first satellite was built in France and launched on a SpaceX rocket in 2018. Bangladeshi engineers have since kept it orbiting.

The country invested close to $250 million in the effort. It was a high price for Bangladesh, where the average…