Why there’s a rush of African satellite launches

One by one, satellites-each of which is filled with a podge of solar panels and other tools-separated from their mother.

They exploded from the ground just an hour ago, on August 16. It is designed and designed in the 116 launch vehicle on the launch vehicle by Western countries and companies – but one of them was different.

It was the first aliens of this, which was developed by the African state of Senegal.

small Cubesat Gaindesat-1A, it will provide land and communications monitoring services. The President of Senegal described it as a big step towards “technological sovereignty”.

The cost of launching the satellite It has decreased dramatically in recent years“Spacehubs Africa and Director of Management, the founder and director of management at Spacehubs Africa, says.

“This reduction in the cost of the market has opened,” he added. “These younger countries … now have the opportunity to participate.”

So far, a total of 17 African countries have been developed More than 60 of the satellite in orbit Next to Senegal, Djibouti and Zimbabwe also saw that their first satellites operate over the past 12 months. Dozens of African satellites are expected to enter orbit in the coming years.

However, the continent currently does not have its own space to launch.

In addition, it can be said that the powerful countries in other places of the world use emerging African space programs as a way to build relations and confirm their geopolitical domination on a larger scale.

Can more African countries paint their way to orbit – and beyond?

“It is important for African countries to have their own satellites,” Sumah says. It argues that this means better technology control and easy access to satellite data.

He adds that this information can help Africans monitor crops, discover threats that harsh weather such as floods, or improve communications in remote areas.

Jesse Nadaba, co -founder and administrative manager at Astrofica Technologies, a South Africa space technology company, is a South Africa space technology company that designs the satellite, a participation company and administrative manager in Astrofica Technologies, a satellite technology company in South Africa designs The satellite, go boldly to space is still seen as “something for the elite” in Africa. She adds that the business in its company is still “very slow” in general.

Looking at the huge The threat that represents the continent Depending on climate change, space technology should be used to monitor food and resources, as it indicates. In contrast, the African space race to reach the moon or Mars will not be useful: “We have to look at the challenges we face in Africa and find ways to solve it.”

For Sarah Kimmani, from the Kenyan Meteorological Department, satellites have proven that they are invaluable in helping her and colleagues to track dangerous weather conditions. Remember the use of land control Data provided by EumetsatSataniya agency, to monitor a large dirt storm in March. “We were able to say the direction of this dirt storm,” she says.

Later this year, she and her colleagues will start receiving data from the latest generation of Eumetsat spacecraft, which will provide wild and lightning monitoring tools from other benefits. “This will help us improve our early warning systems,” Ms. Kimani added, noting that cooperation with Eumetsat was “very effective and effective.”

Climate change unifies meteorological threats that can appear rapidly – from major storms to severe dehydration. Ms. Kimani, noting that the severity of these risks is changed, ”noting that satellite data that can be frequently updated every five minutes, or less, will help meteorologists to track these phenomena.

It also argues that Kenya – which laid the first ground surveillance satellite in the course of last year – will benefit from the presence of more meteorological spacecraft in the future. As well as other African countries in general. “Africa alone understands its needs,” says Kimani.

Temayo Onosun, Managing Director of Space in Africa, a market research and consulting company, says many African countries that have young programs depend on technology and foreign experts.

Some countries have sent students and engineers abroad to capture the awareness of space technology. “The problem is, when these men return, there is no laboratory, and there is no facility for them,” says Mr. Unioson.

The new satellite of Senegal was built by Senegalese technicians. Although there is no desire to select their great achievement, it should be noted that the development of the satellite has become possible through a partnership with a French university, and that the spacecraft was launched on the California Spacex Falcon missile.

Europe, China and the United States participated in many African space programs. This helped increase African technology in orbit, for sure, but it was a “critical diplomatic tool,” says Mr. ONIOSUN. It makes him “a little worry”, as he admits.

Observers have suggested that African space programs are not only related to the introduction of African countries in space – they are also, to some extent, the arenas in which some of the world are not more. Strong countries compete with each other.

Mr. Sumah is positive about the situation. “We can … play these different forces against each other to get the best deals,” he says.

Jolly Klinger, at Dilayer University, says officials in both the United States and China considered the “strategic effects” to involve themselves in African space.

“This brings with her an intense need to update global treaties and strategies on preserving a peaceful and controlled space environment.”

But there are opportunities too. Dr. Klinger notes that the space starts from the tropical areas – That may not require much fuel – It may mean that African space ports have an important role that it plays in the coming decades.

The Luigi Broglio Space Center, an ancient space port, can be returned, including the sea platform off the Kenya coast, to the service one day, for example. The last launch there are in the eighties.

In the end, we can expect to see the increasing activity in space from African countries. “We have got nearly 80 satellites that are currently being developed,” Mr. ONIOSUN says.