Malawi’s government plans to develop itself as a spacefaring nation by establishing its space agency to explore the country’s potential for harnessing space resources for scientific and technological advancement.

This is in accordance with a statement issued yesterday by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), which was signed by the Director-General, Daud Suleman.

Suleman remarks that Malawi would convene its first-ever space conference from 9 to 11 November in Lilongwe to discuss the protection and utilisation of Malawi’s space resources for the Malawi 2063 Vision.

According to Space in Africa’s African Space Industry Annual Report 2022, 13 African nations have launched 48 satellites as of 2022. According to the analysis, the African space economy was valued at USD 19.49 billion in 2021 and is expected to rise by 16.16% to USD 22.64 billion by 2026.

Malawi, according to the MACRA chief, would profit economically from this. Malawi will also be able to use satellite data to manage existing operations such as agriculture, mapping, and climate science, according to him.

According to Suleman, “Malawi envisions [that] a vibrant digital environment and space exploration is an enabler for the future we envisage.”  He added that “the space program will also provide Malawi with a voice in the exploration of global space initiatives and help the country protect its orbital slot, which it risks losing if not utilised.”

Suleman went on to say that the Malawian government would now have a platform to engage in the global space community and establish itself as a major space-faring nation.

Malawi is a member of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and Malawi, like every other ITU member, has two orbital slots in the ITU’s planned services databases. One slot is designated for broadcast satellite services, while the other is for fixed satellite services. There are no current satellites in the country’s slots.