The CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency, Dr Sherif Sedky, revealed that upon operationalisation, the satellite AIT centre hosted in the newly completed Egypt space city would be open to other African countries to carry out specified testing involving the integration of various satellite components and subsystems into a single entity that is tested to ensure its proper functioning in space. The centre is expected to become operational by June 2023.

He disclosed while presenting a status update on Egypt’s space programme on the first day of the 2023 NewSpace Africa Conference between 25-28 April 2023 at Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

According to the Dr Sedky, the satellite assembly, integration and testing (AIT), hosted within the newly furnished Egypt space city, will provide African countries with access to state-of-the-art satellite technology and expertise that might otherwise have been unavailable or difficult to access, opening up new opportunities for these countries in fields such satellite design, and manufacturing. 

Furthermore, he noted that by collaborating with other African countries, Egypt would help build capacity in the region and promote knowledge transfer, developing local expertise and a more robust upstream ecosystem in Africa and creating new jobs and economic opportunities for the participating countries.

Dr Sedky also reiterated that he expects the initiative to promote greater cooperation and integration among African countries, fostering stronger ties and partnerships and limiting effort duplication across the continent. He believed this would positively affect various issues, including trade, security, and regional stability.