
One after the other, the satellites – every of them encrusted with a hodge-podge of photo voltaic panels and different gizmos – indifferent from their mothership.
They’d blasted off from Earth simply an hour earlier, on 16 August. The 116 satellites onboard the launch automobile have been largely designed and constructed by Western nations and companies – however one in all them was completely different.
It was the primary such spacecraft ever developed by the African nation of Senegal.
A small CubeSat referred to as GaindeSAT-1A, it should present earth commentary and telecommunications companies. Senegal’s president referred to as it an enormous step in direction of “technological sovereignty”.
The price of launching a satellite tv for pc has fallen considerably lately, says Kwaku Sumah, founder and managing director at Spacehubs Africa, an area consultancy.
“That discount in value has opened the market up,” he provides. “These smaller nations… now have the chance to get entangled.”

So far, a complete of 17 African international locations have put greater than 60 satellites into orbit and, together with Senegal, each Djibouti and Zimbabwe have additionally watched their first satellites change into operational in the course of the previous 12 months. Dozens extra African satellites are anticipated to enter orbit within the coming years.
And but, the continent at present has no area launch services of its personal.
Plus, highly effective international locations elsewhere on the planet are arguably utilizing nascent African area programmes as a method of constructing relationships and asserting their geopolitical dominance extra broadly.
Can extra African nations chart their very own method into orbit – and past?
“It’s essential for African international locations to have their very own satellites,” says Mr Sumah. He argues that it means higher management over the know-how and simpler entry to satellite tv for pc knowledge.
This data may assist Africans monitor crops, detect threats posed by excessive climate equivalent to floods, or enhance telecommunications in distant areas, he provides.
However boldly going to area continues to be seen as “one thing for the elite” in Africa, says Jessie Ndaba, co-founder and managing director at Astrofica Applied sciences, an area tech agency in South Africa that designs satellites. Enterprise at her agency stays “very sluggish” general, she provides.
Given the large menace posed to the continent by local weather change, area tech needs to be used to observe meals and assets, she suggests. An African area race to succeed in the moon or Mars, in distinction, wouldn’t be useful: “We’ve received to have a look at the challenges that we now have in Africa and discover methods of fixing these.”
For Sarah Kimani, of the Kenyan Meteorological Division, satellites have proved invaluable in serving to her and her colleagues monitor harmful climate circumstances. She remembers utilizing earth commentary knowledge offered by Eumetsat, a European satellite tv for pc company, to observe a serious mud storm in March. “We have been in a position to inform the course of this mud storm,” she says.
Later this 12 months, she and her colleagues will start receiving knowledge from the newest technology of Eumetsat spacecraft, which can present wildfire and lightning monitoring instruments amongst different advantages. “It should assist us enhance our early warning programs,” provides Ms Kimani, noting that the collaboration with Eumetsat has been “very environment friendly and efficient”.
Local weather change brings meteorological threats that may emerge quickly – from main storms to excessive drought. “The depth of those hazards… is altering,” says Ms Kimani, noting that satellite tv for pc knowledge that could possibly be up to date as continuously as each 5 minutes, or much less, would assist meteorologists monitor such phenomena.
She additionally argues that Kenya – which put its first operational earth commentary satellite tv for pc into orbit final 12 months – would profit from having extra of its personal meteorological spacecraft sooner or later. As would different African international locations basically. “Solely Africa understands her personal wants,” says Ms Kimani.

Presently, many African nations with younger area programmes are depending on overseas know-how and consultants, says Temidayo Oniosun, managing director of Area in Africa, a market analysis and consulting firm.
Some international locations have despatched college students and engineers overseas to choose up area tech know-how. “The issue is, when these guys come again, there is no such thing as a laboratory, no facility for them,” says Mr Oniosun.
Senegal’s new satellite tv for pc was constructed by Senegalese technicians. Whereas not desirous to detract from their vital achievement, it’s price noting that improvement of the satellite tv for pc was made doable by way of a partnership with a French college, and that the spacecraft was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California.

Europe, China and the US have all concerned themselves in quite a few African area programmes. This has helped increase African know-how into orbit, for certain, nevertheless it has additionally served as a “crucial diplomatic device”, says Mr Oniosun. It makes him “a bit anxious”, he admits.
Observers have recommended that African area programmes will not be nearly getting African nations into area – they’re additionally, to some extent, arenas the place among the world’s most highly effective international locations compete with each other.
Mr Sumah is constructive in regards to the scenario. “We will… play these completely different powers in opposition to one another to get the most effective offers,” he says.
Officers in each the US and China have thought of the “strategic” implications of involving themselves in African area endeavours, says Julie Klinger, on the College of Delaware.
“That does deliver with it an intensifying want for updating international treaties and methods round sustaining a peaceable and manageable area surroundings,” she provides.
However there are alternatives, too. Dr Klinger notes that area launches from equatorial areas – which can not require as a lot gasoline – may imply that African area ports have an essential position to play within the coming a long time.
The Luigi Broglio Area Heart, an outdated Italian-built area port together with a sea platform off the coast of Kenya, could possibly be introduced again into service at some point, for instance. The final launches there passed off within the Eighties.
Finally, we are able to count on to see rising exercise in area from African nations. “We’ve received near 80 satellites which are at present in improvement,” says Mr Oniosun, “I feel the way forward for the business may be very vibrant.”