FUTURE AFRICA: African Space Industry

By Atlanta Mahanta

Africa has an opportunity to utilize its geographic position and natural resources to promote economic growth, improve the quality of life of its people, and contribute to scientific knowledge. At the same time, Africa is facing major challenges in food security, rapid urbanisation, the sustainable use of the environment, and the need to educate a growing population. Economic, political, environmental and social reforms can make an impact only if there is concerted effort to build indigenous skills and technological capabilities that provide effective solutions to the challenges. These challenges have long been recognised and many policy frameworks have been developed in response. Active participation in the development of space-related applications and services will enable the continent to address them, meet the objectives of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, make a significant contribution to the implementation of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), take advantage of new opportunities offered by our geographic advantages, and become a global space player. The successful implementation of these frameworks is highly dependent on space technologies and applications. Access to sound, secure spatial data for decision-making will require an indigenous space programme and local capabilities. Africa cannot afford to remain a net importer of space technologies, as in the long term this will limit socioeconomic development and negate the African Union vision of “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”. Developing an adequate regional space capability has been hampered by the capital-intensive nature of the space sector and the lack of a formal governance structure to advance a collective effort. These difficulties must be overcome given the strategic value of a regional space sector in advancing the economic, political, environmental and social agenda of the continent. Space applications are needed to achieve over 90% of the strategic objectives across the eight departments of the African Union Commission (AUC). The use of space-based products and services to provide critical spatial information for decision-making purposes would have contributed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and will be valuable in our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Kenyan Space Agency (KSA) is in the process  selecting its next director-general from a pool of eleven contenders, as SADC kick-starts implementation of a satellite sharing programme to serve the region. At the same time, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) hosts its 54th Governing Council. Over the month, the size of Nigeria’s rocket became a source of debate in comparison to a NASA rocket. Meanwhile, the International Astronautical Federation has released the world’s most extensive digital library on space history, which is accessible for public use. In a multilateral partnership, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are working on a developmental breakthrough in quantum communications.

©Space in Africa 2020