Introduction to Space in Africa
For Temidayo Oniosun, the story is the same as ever: "Room is nothing new in Africa." But the dimensions have changed, said the space scientist and founder of Space in Africa, a thought factory in Lagos, Nigeria. During the early space race in the 1960s, African countries played an important role in the Apollo Moon missions, Oniosun told DW. They organized critical infrastructure without which the missions would not have been possible.
Historical Context of Space in Africa
But nobody talked about it, said Oniosun. When America sent NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong to the moon, it was not like this: "This is good for America, and we thank Africa and other regions for your contribution." But Africa played a role. And the reason why we tell this story is to provide the context that space in Africa is not a brand new thing. What has changed, however, is that the African countries nowadays not only accommodate the infrastructure – they build and have satellites in the infrastructure, design and start, whereby the spatial technology specific for the needs of the continent is specific.
Space Science in Africa is ‘Niche’
According to Oniosun, it is essential to understand that "space is a remedy to the end" in Africa. It is technology with which people make their lives better. These boys don’t think: ‘We want to go to the moon or Mars.’ They think: “I can use this satellite to offer connectivity to my village. Many satellite data are freely available. But African countries have needs that are specific to the equatorial region, and European and other satellite programs are often not tailored to these needs.
Regional Needs and Challenges
Olugbenga Olumodimu, a space manager at the University of Portsmouth in Great Britain, considers African space science to be "very niche". When I try to replicate what I do here in Africa, it won’t work, he said. So I have to learn the physics of the equator. You have to understand what you do to do what you know. Sometimes it is a question of using different instruments to measure region-specific data or to position a satellite at a certain angle in order to achieve the best measurements. But ultimately, it depends on the data in Africa.
Collaboration and Data Sharing
For example, take solar storms or space weather – which represents a global threat. A heavy solar storm has the potential to switch off national power networks, and this effect can be the same in more than one region. Other effects can vary from region to region. In the northern latitudes of the planet, solar storms are a threat to radio signals such as communication between aircraft and floor control stations. In Nigeria, solar storms are considered a greater threat to the performance of oil pipelines, an important factor in its hydrocarbon economy. However, put together both data records, and everyone receives a more comprehensive picture of the effects of the sun weather.
The Importance of Global Collaboration
If parts of the earth are not sufficiently covered in other places, science is not complete, said Olumodimu. We work together to make science effectively. Olumodimu found that there were plans for a collaboration to design a satellite that measures room weather effects in the high and medium latitudes and at the same time in the equatorial region. If we have this type of data, it is easier to do what we call global science, he said.
The Role of the African Space Agency
In South Africa, the military is also concerned about the effects of the sun weather. It shares this data – for example with the European Space Agency – which then makes the data available as a global service. Such services usually last for decades, said Thomas Weissenberg, an expert in external relationships in Africa at the European Space Agency. A solar storm could hit satellites and simply destroy them. It could be the end of many straw observation satellites, communication satellites, Starlink, and so on. The African Space Agency (AFSA) was inaugurated in Cairo, Egypt, in April 2025, marking a new chapter in Africa’s space history. AFSA aims to bring countries together to work together, to share infrastructure and data.
Future Prospects and Challenges
They have countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, and South Africa – some of their national space programs are more than two decades old, said Oniosun. Then they have relatively young space programs – the Kenyan space agency was founded in 2017, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. Countries like this are at a different level. Now everyone is talking to each other. It is hoped that the AFSA will promote the transfer of knowledge and technology on the African continent, regardless of the expertise of a country. And it seems to work: everyone wants to work with Egypt, the host country of AFSA. Egypt’s ambitions are at the forefront of space in Africa, said Olumodimu. How the AFSA assets will develop is unsure, said Weissenberg. Africa is even more complicated than Europe. The chances are good that you will be successful – if you have the fact that you support China.
