Africa

Djibouti has launched its first satellite, Djibouti 1A, into orbit, aboard Space's Transporter-9 smallsat rideshare mission on November 11 2023.  According to Space in Africa, the East African Country developed the satellite through a joint capacity-building program between Djibouti and its technical partner, the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM). As a result, Djiboutian engineers and technicians in France designed, constructed and tested the satellite.

The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see ISRO design, assemble, integrate, test, launch and operate an Earth Observation satellite for Mauritius. The signing happened in the presence of Hon. Deepak Balgobin, the Mauritian Minister of Information Technology, Communication, and Innovation, Republic of Mauritius, and Hon. Shri V. Muraleedharan, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs & Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

The Senegalese Space Study Agency/Agence Sénégalaise d’Etudes Spatiale (ASES) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have formally expressed their mutual intent to collaborate based on a mutual commitment to harnessing the power of space technology for the socio-economic advancement of Senegal, according to Space in Africa. The agreement happened under the auspices of the just-concluded AU-EU Dialogue in Dakar, Senegal.

StarWin has announced that it has successfully tested its Electronically Steered Phased Array Antenna (ESA) terminal for Communications on the Move (COTM) on Avanti Communications’ (“Avanti”) high-speed HYLAS 4 Ka-band satellite. This achievement aims to provide seamless broadband connectivity for Government, military, and enterprise customers across Africa. During testing, StarWin’s ESA terminal demonstrated impressive capabilities, ensuring high-speed data and reliable communications while on the move.

Euroconsult and ICEYE will lead an Earth Observation (EO) consortium that results from a recent request by the European Commission for feasibility study proposals exploring the best way to implement a future satellite-enabled Earth-Observation service for government-authorized users at EU and EU Member States .

Nkechi Egerton-Idehen has been appointed as the new CEO of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Company (NIGCOMSAT). This appointment comes amidst the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu's significant reshuffle within the Country's Ministry of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, NIGCOMSAT's parent ministry. As a result, Nkechi Egerton-Idehen will assume her new role immediately, succeeding Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua, who took over as NIGCOMSAT’s CEO in December 2022.

Eutelsat Communications has announced a multi-year multi-million commitment with Marlink for GEO High Throughput Ku-band capacity on its EUTELSAT 10B satellite. The satellite covers Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as critical maritime routes. This new agreement comes in addition to existing partnerships previously signed between Marlink and Eutelsat Group for maritime connectivity across the globe.

World Space Week Association (WSWA) has announced the selection of Alma Okpalefe as its Executive Director on the occasion of World Space Week 2023. She will be replacing Maruksa Strah, who served as the Association‘s Executive Director for five years. 

Paratus Group have announced that it has entered an agreement as a distributor for Starlink’s high-speed services across the African continent. This agreement will allow Paratus to provide Starlink to its customers across Africa, as Starlink received operating licenses in those countries. Initially, and with immediate effect, Starlink will be available from Paratus in Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda & Nigeria before its services are available to more countries.

The fourth event will take place on 26 September 2023 at 4 pm CEST and focus on Africa. The panel will discuss the current state of the space industry in Africa, with a focus on public policies and private initiatives in different countries and regions. It will also address the potential for disputes and the available dispute resolution mechanisms.