Cairo: Africa’s involvement in space exploration is undergoing a transformation as countries on the continent increasingly view space as a means to address various local challenges. During the early days of space exploration, African nations played a crucial role by hosting infrastructure essential to the Apollo moon missions, as noted by the founder of Space in Africa, a think tank based in Lagos, Nigeria.
According to Deutsche Welle, African countries are now seeking to leverage space technologies to solve pressing issues such as connectivity, agriculture, and climate-related challenges.
African nations are exploring ways to utilize satellite data to improve connectivity and address environmental concerns like flooding and droughts. This shift in focus highlights the necessity for region-specific data, as European and other international satellite programs often do not cater to the unique needs of Africa’s equatorial regions. Olugbenga Olumodimu, a space program manager at the University of Portsmouth, emphasizes the importance of understanding the equatorial physics to make space science applicable in Africa.
Africa’s distinct needs also extend to understanding space weather, such as solar storms, which can impact different regions in varied ways. For instance, while solar storms threaten radio signals in northern latitudes, they pose a risk to petroleum pipelines in Nigeria. Collaborative efforts to design satellites that can measure space-weather effects across different latitudes are underway, aiming to produce comprehensive global science data.
South Africa’s military is actively involved in monitoring space weather and shares its data with international bodies like the European Space Agency (ESA), contributing to a global understanding of these phenomena. Thomas Weissenberg, an external relations Africa expert at the ESA, notes that Europe and Africa have a longstanding collaboration in space projects, with the European Commission recently reaffirming its commitment through a new Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme.
The inauguration of the Africa Space Agency (AfSA) in April 2025 in Cairo marks a significant milestone in Africa’s space journey. AfSA aims to foster collaboration among African countries, enabling them to share resources and expertise. Countries with established space programs, such as Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, and South Africa, are working alongside younger space programs to advance the continent’s capabilities.
Olumodimu distinguishes between “spacefaring” and “space-aspiring” nations in Africa, highlighting the varied levels of expertise across the continent. The hope is that AfSA will facilitate knowledge and technology transfer among African countries, with Egypt poised to lead the way as the host of AfSA. However, the future of AfSA remains uncertain, with external influences such as China’s strategic investments playing a crucial role in shaping its trajectory. China’s involvement, particularly in building the AfSA site, underscores the geopolitical dynamics at play in Africa’s space endeavors.