Senegal Prepares to Launch its First Satellite, GaindéSat-1A
Key Highlights
- Senegal will launch GaindéSat-1A in July 2024.
- GaindéSat-1A has been integrated into the Exolaunch’s Exopod NOVA deployer
According to Dr Gayane Faye, Coordinator of the Senegalese Space Programme (SENSAT), Senegal plans to launch its first satellite, GaindéSat-1A, a 1U-type satellite, in July 2024. The nanosatellite was delivered to Exolaunch and fully integrated into the Exopod NOVA deployer on 28 May 2024.
The GaindéSat-1A project, initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, is a testament to the collaborative spirit of Senegal’s space programme to ensure socio-economic development. Furthermore, the GaindéSat-1A has two missions. The first mission is to connect with the measuring stations during each pass, collect the data, and transmit it to the Diamniadio control centre near Dakar, to eventually integrate and connect all measuring stations of state structures and potentially private structures to facilitate the collection of environmental data. The second mission is to capture Senegal imagery. However, due to its current small size, the resolution of these images will be limited. Nonetheless, they will serve as a testing ground for various applications to achieve self-reliance in acquiring, analysing, and utilising imagery data. This initiative aims to develop services contributing to Senegal’s advancement and growth.
To ensure seamless project execution, a technical committee comprising teacher-researchers from institutions such as the École Supérieure Polytechnique, the École Polytechnique de Thiès, the École Polytechnique de Saint-Louis, and the Institute of Earth Sciences has been set up. This diverse group of experts, including young participants, represents various disciplines and perspectives. The involvement of these institutions, including the Directorate of Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE), further underscores the careful approach taken to ensure success.
In 2019, Senegal laid out a timeline to build and launch its first satellite and set a two-year actualisation timeframe for the project. Through this satellite, Senegal aims to take advantage of space applications for socio-economic and scientific development and create a thriving local space ecosystem for scientific research and industrial innovation.
In 2023, Dr Gayane Faye announced the readiness of GaindéSat-1A for launch. RIDE Space, a digital platform facilitating collaborative efforts between satellite operators and launch providers, collaborated with Senegal and the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM) to integrate the country’s maiden satellite, GaindéSat-1A.