Ibadan, 4 December 2023. – Angola has become the 33rd country and third African country, after Nigeria and Rwanda, to sign the Artemis Accords and join the Artemis program. President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola officially signed the Artemis Accord on behalf of his nation, solidifying Angola’s commitment to deep space exploration and international collaboration.
The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement critical obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also strengthen the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behaviour NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
Angola’s participation in the Artemis program, like its two African counterparts, will offer protection for its space assets as well as ensure Angola gains a headstart in the space exploitation goals that the Artemis program has to offer. The Central African Country launched its second communications satellite, Angosat-2, in October 2022 and aims to develop its national space program around it.
Angola will also be looking to leverage the 3rd Annual Africa Newspace conference, which will be held next year, to make impactful developments in its growing space program and across the continent. Angola’s Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication (MINTTIC) will be hosting the conference in conjunction with the African Union Commission and Space in Africa.
Angosat-2 satellite operations and services cover the entire African continent and a significant part of Southern Europe in C Band. Furthermore, the satellite provides the country with the means to minimize the digital divide, allowing equal access to all Angolans to the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
