Ayooluwa Adetola

The National Space Research and Development Agency has partnered with Proforce Galaxies Limited to unveil a constellation of four satellites, three optical satellites and one SAR satellite, to enhance Nigeria's capacity in agriculture, defence, and satellite technology.

Azercosmos, Azerbaijan's space agency, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana have announced a new long-term partnership for the CAAB to utilize terrestrial satellite communications and data services provided via the Azerspace-1 telecommunication satellite.

Key highlights USPACE Technology Group has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Egyptian Space Agency concerning satellite manufacturing, testing, and launch education and training.

Senegal's first satellite, Gaindesat-1A, was successfully launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9—Transporter 11 rideshare mission on Friday, August 16, 2024, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, USA.

The 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is coming up and scheduled for 14th-18th October 2024, this time in Milan, Italy. Over 8,000 space industry experts, professionals, and members of academia are expected to attend in person. This year's congress is themed

A report by the 27th Annual Space Economy Snapshot by the Satellite Industry Association presents that satellite manufacturing revenue for 2023 jumped 9% to USD 17.2 billion, driven by more flexible software-defined payloads, increasingly capable small satellites and scalable production processes, with the manufacture of about 85% of the commercially procured satellites launched in 2023 attributed to companies based in the US. However, while the rest of the world is making significant progress in its satellite manufacturing industries, Africa continues to struggle. Due to various economic and business development factors, many satellite manufacturing companies in Africa are going out of business, while many others wait longer than their proposed dates to develop and launch their first commercial space product. For companies whose business model hinged heavily on executing government space projects, many have not been able to build on their clientele or progress to getting commercial clients, ultimately leading to their businesses shutting down.

During the week 14 – 18 October 2024 Milan transforms into the world's space capital with the arrival of thousands of experts, scientists, industry professionals, and, of course, astronauts!

Space in Africa, in collaboration with the African Space Agency and the Egyptian Space Agency, is organising the fourth edition of the NewSpace Africa Conference from 21st to 24th April 2025 in the Egypt Space City, Cairo, Egypt. The conference will be gathering critical stakeholders in the African and foreign space industry, members of the academia, policy-makers and government officials, national space agencies, commercial space sector, and other high-level professionals from the satellite manufacturing, earth observation, satellite connectivity, satellite navigation, and other industry segments to share critical insights for policy and business development for the growth of the African space industry. The conference was announced today at the IAC 2024 in Milan, Italy, by Dr Sherif Sedky, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency and H.E. Dr Tidiane Ouattara, President of the African Space Council.

The African Union Commission (AUC) will officially inaugurate the African Space Agency (AfSA) during the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference, which will take place at Egypt Space City in Cairo, Egypt. With this launch, AfSA is set to become the central body for promoting collaboration on space initiatives across the continent.

Space in Africa, in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), is hosting an innovative training workshop titled “Generative AI for Space Applications and Technologies” on 12th December 2024 by 12 pm GMT. This workshop is tailored for space professionals who are eager to harness the power of AI tools to enhance their projects within the space sector. With AI revolutionising various facets of the industry—from manufacturing and remote sensing to spacecraft control and coordination—this technology unlocks new efficiencies, drives innovation, and fosters growth within the satellite and broader space industry.