AU SUMMIT AFRICAN SPACE AGENCY UPDATE

Back in 2018, the African Union (AU) put out a bid to find the most suitable country to host the African Space Agency (AfSA). Egypt won this bid and was declared the host in 2019 for political and technical competence. This year, in January the organisation was established and Egypt and The AU signed an agreement.

The AfSA facilities in Egypt, Cairo

In 2016, at the 26th AU summit, the African Space Policy and Strategy framework was adopted to ensure that the mandate of the AU - 2063 is actualised and that an appropriate organisation for promoting space activities in Africa is established. Such an organisation is the AfSA.

Hosted in Cairo, Egypt, the organisation is to be the centre of all space activities in Africa including collaboration with other countries. This year on January 24th, the Space agency was declared fully operational.

Its creation responds to the conviction of most African leaders that space-based applications are key to accelerating the development and prosperity of their respective countries and, step by step, they have brought the African Space Agency into being. The aim is to acquire technologies and build infrastructure to improve, for example, the management of water, marine and terrestrial natural resources, agriculture and the environment.

The responsibilities assigned to the Agency also include coordinating the development of a "critical mass of African capabilities in space science, technology and innovation through education and training programmes". It is an extension of the African Space Strategy, which aims to "attract students to postgraduate programmes focused on achieving an indigenous space sector in the changing socio-economic landscape".

A tribute to