One by one, the satellites detached from their launch vehicle, a variety of them equipped with solar panels and technological components.
On August 16, these satellites, numbering 116, were sent into space, mostly designed by Western countries, with one significant exception: Senegal’s first-ever satellite, GaindeSAT-1A.This small CubeSat marks a major achievement for Senegal, offering earth observation and telecommunications services.
Senegal’s president hailed it as a significant step towards “technological sovereignty.”
The dropping costs of launching satellites, as noted by Kwaku Sumah, managing director at Spacehubs Africa, have opened the doors for smaller nations like Senegal to engage in the space industry.
“These reductions have made space accessible for smaller countries,” he said.
So far, 17 African nations have launched over 60 satellites, with Senegal, Djibouti, and Zimbabwe joining the ranks in the past year by sending their first satellites into space.
More African countries are expected to follow suit, although no African nation currently has its own space launch facilities.
Still, concerns linger about how external powers such as Europe, China, and the U.S. are leveraging African space programs to strengthen diplomatic ties and expand geopolitical influence.
Kwaku Sumah believes it’s vital for African nations to have control over their own satellite technologies, as this would provide better access to valuable data.
This data could be used to monitor agriculture, track weather threats like floods, and improve remote telecommunications.
However, Jessie Ndaba, co-founder of South Africa’s Astrofica Technologies, suggests that space exploration in Africa is often perceived as elitist.
Her company, which designs satellites, has seen slow progress. She argues that rather than focusing on grand space missions, the priority should be tackling African challenges, particularly climate change, through satellite technology to monitor resources and address environmental concerns.
For Sarah Kimani of the Kenyan Meteorological Department, satellite data is invaluable for tracking dangerous weather.
She recalls using data from a European satellite agency to monitor a major dust storm in March. Kenya’s first operational satellite, launched last year, will further enhance these capabilities.
Despite these strides, many African countries still rely heavily on foreign technology and expertise.
Senegal’s new satellite, for instance, was developed through collaboration with a French university and launched aboard a SpaceX rocket.
While foreign partnerships have undoubtedly boosted African space ambitions, Temidayo Oniosun, managing director of Space in Africa, sees potential risks, viewing these collaborations as a geopolitical strategy.
However, he believes African nations could use these partnerships to their advantage by negotiating better deals.
Officials in the U.S. and China have recognized the strategic importance of Africa’s growing space involvement.
Julie Klinger, from the University of Delaware, notes that African spaceports could become valuable due to their equatorial positions, requiring less fuel for launches.
The Luigi Broglio Space Center, an old Italian-built facility off Kenya’s coast, could potentially be reactivated.
With approximately 80 new satellites currently in development by African nations, the future of Africa’s space industry looks promising. “The industry is expanding rapidly,” Oniosun said.