CRASTE-LF Signs MoU with ASES to Boost Senegal’s Space Programme

Key Highlight

• CRASTE-LF signs MoU with ASES during the 11th Ordinary Session held in Morocco to enhance space development in Senegal.

The African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology in French Language (CRASTE-LF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Senegalese Agency for Space Studies (ASES) to advance Senegal’s space programme.

During the 11th Ordinary Session of the institution in Rabat, Morocco, this agreement will advance Senegal’s space programme, significantly enhancing its capabilities and aligning with the country’s broader development goals.

Mr Abdellatif Miraouien, Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, chaired the session, with Her Excellency Mrs Seynabou Dial, Ambassador of Senegal in Rabat, also in attendance. Their presence underscored the importance of this collaboration and its potential impact on regional development.

This MoU aims to foster enhanced cooperation and development in space science and technology across Africa. CRASTE-LF and ASES are driving regional innovation and advancing their shared goals through this partnership.

ASES reached this milestone after CRASTE-LF’s Director, Professor Anas Emran, facilitated ASES’s initial visit to CRASTE-LF in December 2023. The visit marked the beginning of a promising collaboration and highlighted Senegal’s commitment to developing its space programme.

In 2023, Senegalese President Macky Sall announced the creation of the Senegalese Space Study Agency (ASES) to drive socioeconomic progress. Since its establishment, ASES has been actively engaging in various agreements to build human capacity and enhance its space programmes. This new MoU with CRASTE-LF represents a significant step in that journey, aiming to elevate Senegal’s space initiatives and contribute to broader continental goals and growth.

The agreement also underscores a strategic shift towards increased regional cooperation in space science and technology across Africa. Such cooperation can lead to shared research initiatives, joint technological developments, and more robust space programmes throughout the continent.