The African space sector is witnessing significant advancements, driven by institutional and commercial initiatives. Governments and private entities across the continent are increasingly investing in satellite technology, Earth observation, and connectivity solutions to address pressing challenges in agriculture, disaster management, and infrastructure development. Against this backdrop, Airbus Defence and Space has positioned itself as a strategic partner, supporting Africa’s ambitions through technology transfer, capacity building, and tailored space solutions.

At the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference, we spoke with Stéphane Vesval, Senior Vice President and Head of Sales for Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, to discuss the company’s long-standing engagement in Africa. From Algeria’s Alsat programme to Angola’s ANGEO-1, Airbus has played a key role in advancing Africa’s space capabilities. The conversation explored how the company collaborates with government and commercial stakeholders, its vision for sustainable space operations, and its plans to support the newly established African Space Agency.

Stéphane Vesval also shared insights on Airbus’s latest innovations, including next-generation Earth observation satellites and multi-orbit connectivity solutions, which are set to further enhance Africa’s access to critical space-based services. 

Airbus has been involved in several high-profile satellite projects in Africa, such as Algeria’s Alsat series and Angola’s current ongoing project. What feedback have you received from your African partners?

For over 30 years, Airbus has collaborated with African space agencies and governments, delivering advanced Earth observation and telecommunication satellites. Our partnership began in the 1990s, focusing on building ground infrastructure like distribution networks and receiving stations.  

A key pillar of our commitment is capacity building: we’ve trained nearly 200 African engineers, enabling autonomous system operations and localised service delivery. Projects like ANGEO-1 in Angola build on successes such as ANGOSAT-2, reflecting our “customer success first” ethos. To deepen engagement, we maintain offices in Egypt and Nigeria, ensuring proximity to partners and promoting long-term collaboration tailored to Africa’s unique needs. 

The commercial satellite market is growing, with private African operators emerging. Is Airbus exploring partnerships with commercial satellite component manufacturers in Africa, or is the primary focus still on government contracts?

The commercial satellite market in Africa is undergoing rapid transformation, with a growing number of private operators and increasing demand for space-based services. Recognising this dynamic environment, Airbus Defence and Space is committed to serving governmental and commercial stakeholders across the continent with tailored, high-impact solutions. As a global leader in space technologies, Airbus continues to adapt its offerings to the specific needs of the African market. We are actively engaging with a broad spectrum of partners, from national governments and regional institutions to emerging commercial operators, to ensure our services are aligned with local priorities, whether in Earth observation, connectivity, or satellite infrastructure development.

In line with our commitment to encouraging local innovation, Airbus is exploring strategic partnerships with African satellite component manufacturers. These collaborations will strengthen regional supply chains, build technical capacity, and create shared value through joint ventures and technology transfer. Such efforts enhance Airbus’s presence in Africa and contribute meaningfully to developing a sustainable and competitive local space ecosystem.

The recent establishment of the African Space Agency is a key milestone in the continent’s institutional space framework. Airbus welcomes this development and sees it as an opportunity to engage in coordinated, continent-wide initiatives spanning satellite deployment, service delivery, data sharing, and capacity building. We are committed to supporting the Agency’s efforts and collaborating on projects that unlock the full potential of space for Africa’s development.

Airbus envisions a future where the African space industry is defined by innovation, inclusive growth, and strategic partnerships. We look forward to continuing our long-standing engagement across the continent and contributing to its space-driven transformation.

What do you believe are the most promising areas of growth for the African space industry over the next decade, and how is Airbus positioning itself to be a part of that growth?

The African space industry is emerging as a vital contributor to the global space sector, with vast potential to drive socio-economic transformation across the continent. As more African nations embrace the strategic value of space technologies, Airbus is proud to stand as a committed partner in this journey.

We believe that lasting progress comes from collaboration. Thus, Airbus actively encourages strong partnerships with various African stakeholders, including governments, academic institutions, local industry players, and the newly established African Space Agency. Together, we aim to build a resilient and inclusive space ecosystem that draws on local expertise and supports regional priorities.

Our initiatives in Africa are structured to generate meaningful, long-term impact. This includes supporting the creation of high-quality employment opportunities, investing in skills development through targeted education and training programmes, and expanding access to critical space-based services. These services, ranging from broadband connectivity and climate monitoring to agricultural forecasting and disaster management, hold the potential to significantly enhance the quality of life across the continent.

Promising Areas of Growth and Airbus’s Role in Africa

1. Multi-Orbit Strategies: Airbus enhances connectivity and data services by integrating GEO, LEO, and MEO satellites, supporting Africa’s development needs.
2. Regional Constellations: Our Arrow150 plug-and-play solution delivers smart, cost-effective satellite services tailored to African applications, such as agriculture and disaster management.
3. Advanced Remote Sensing: The S250 product provides high-resolution Earth Observation with frequent revisit capabilities, enabling precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and more.

Looking ahead, Airbus is committed to fostering innovation and growth in Africa’s space industry. Our long-term vision is to advance sustainable and inclusive development, positioning Africa as a leader in the global space community. Through technological expertise and collaborative partnerships, we aim to unlock space’s full potential for the benefit of all African nations.

What message would you like to send to African nations and stakeholders about Airbus’s commitment to the continent’s space industry?

The message is simple: we are pioneering sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. Airbus is deeply committed to advancing Africa’s space industry. We are excited to expand our existing partnerships with African space stakeholders, such as our collaboration in Angola through the ANGEO-1 programme, building on the success of the ANGOSAT-2 satellite. Additionally, we aim to establish a strategic partnership with the African Space Agency (AfSA). By consolidating national budgets under AfSA’s leadership, Africa can unlock ambitious new space programs and strengthen its space sovereignty.

Our mission is to support the unification and growth of Africa’s space ecosystem by facilitating partnerships that deliver cutting-edge space technology and services.

Furthermore, as a trusted partner in space, Airbus offers a comprehensive and innovative portfolio of solutions for telecommunications, Earth observation, navigation, scientific missions, exploration, and launchers. We provide standard and customised systems, backed by:

• Unmatched in-orbit reliability
• One of the world’s largest flight-proven portfolios
• Expert teams driving breakthrough technologies and industrial innovation

In addition, Airbus is shaping the future through NEXT SPACE, a vision that aligns with Africa’s space ambitions. This initiative focuses on:

• Laying the technological groundwork for tomorrow’s space missions
• Empowering new players in the industry
• Ensuring space remains a key solution to global challenges

Is sustainability merely a buzzword in the space industry, or is it truly a growing trend? 

Sustainability in space is not a demand or a fleeting trend; it is an absolute necessity. Far from being a buzzword, sustainability has become a central and urgent concern in the space sector, driven by the need to safeguard our orbital environment and ensure the long-term viability of space activities. As reliance on space-based technologies grows, so too does the responsibility to conduct operations in a way that protects this critical domain.

The transition to clean, responsible space operations is no longer optional but essential. From minimising space debris and reducing launch emissions to promoting satellite reusability and lifecycle accountability, every step must reflect our commitment to the sustainable stewardship of space.

At Airbus, we recognise our profound responsibility to society and the environment. We are fully committed to advancing sustainable practices that preserve access to space for future generations and contribute meaningfully to the well-being of life on Earth.

We Need Clean Space, and It Starts Now

Ensuring a sustainable future in orbit requires urgent, coordinated action. At Airbus, we believe that the integrity of space must be safeguarded with the same rigour as airspace. That’s why we are working closely with international stakeholders to advance space traffic management and tackle the growing challenge of orbital debris, drawing on lessons from decades of aviation safety.

The industry has made notable progress in developing advanced technologies, including space traffic coordination systems, active debris removal, and autonomous deorbiting solutions. Yet, the task ahead remains vast. The journey to clean and sustainable space operations is a shared global responsibility; no single entity or nation can achieve it alone.

We proudly stand alongside the European Space Agency and industry peers in endorsing the Zero Debris Charter, finalised at the Space Summit in Seville on October 16, 2023. As a leading contributor to this ambitious European initiative, Airbus is committed to shaping a comprehensive and collaborative global approach to the space debris issue. Our collective goal is clear: to set bold, measurable targets for space debris mitigation and remediation by 2030, and to uphold the long-term sustainability of space for future generations.

We Need Space to Keep Earth Sustainable

Space is not only about exploring the universe, but also essential to preserving life here on Earth. From monitoring climate change to managing natural resources, space technology is critical in building a more sustainable and resilient planet.   

In times of crisis, such as wildfires, earthquakes, and floods, satellite-based services provide critical data for rapid response and recovery. Beyond emergencies, space-based Earth observation enables smarter, more efficient use of vital resources, such as optimising water use in agriculture or guiding sustainable land practices.

Africa, in particular, stands to benefit significantly from these capabilities. In countries like Côte d’Ivoire, we support sustainability initiatives by leveraging satellite imagery to monitor deforestation. This helps governments and private-sector partners meet no-deforestation commitments and strengthen responsible sourcing efforts.

Our very high-resolution satellites, such as the S250, take this further by enabling advanced applications like reforestation monitoring. This allows early detection of replanting efforts and accurate tracking of restoration progress, ensuring that environmental promises lead to measurable results. Trees are just the beginning. Our comprehensive Earth observation solutions support sustainability goals, from water and soil conservation to biodiversity protection and climate adaptation.

Space is a critical enabler of sustainability on Earth, and Airbus is proud to be at the forefront of this mission.

What have been the highlights for Airbus in space in 2024?

The momentum that has defined the space sector in recent years remained steady throughout 2024, a year defined by rapid adaptation and decisive progress across all segments of our space activities. Despite ongoing cost and time pressures, the demand for space products continued to surge, as demonstrated by a high volume of orders and successful deliveries.

Telecommunications Milestones

2024 was a particularly strong year for telecommunications, beginning with the successful launch of Eutelsat 36D in March and culminating in the deployment of Thuraya 4. This momentum carried into early 2025 with the launch of Spainsat NG1. Alongside these, we secured major contracts including:

• Two military communication satellites for Germany (SatcomBw 3)
• Two satellites for the UAE (Al Yah 4 and 5)
• 100 satellites for the next-generation OneWeb constellation (Gen1R)

Our OneSat platform, renowned for its fully reconfigurable payload, has achieved several key qualification milestones, reinforcing its status as a flagship solution for flexible, next-generation telecommunications. Furthermore, we celebrated a major innovation milestone with the successful demonstration of TELEO, a laser communications system onboard BADR-8. This high-speed, optical data link between space and ground promises to reshape telecommunications, offering undetectable, license-free, and jammer-resistant communication that complements traditional radio frequency links.

Earth Observation & Climate Monitoring

Our Earth observation segment also saw notable successes:

• EarthCARE launched in May 2024
• Sentinel-2C followed in September 2024
• Sentinel-1C, equipped with Airbus’ radar SAR instrument, launched in December 2024.

Looking ahead to 2025, satellites such as Biomass, CO3D, and MetOp-SG-A are completing their Assembly, Integration, and Testing (AIT) phases. The IASI-NG instrument, central to MetOp-SG, was fully qualified by year-end, representing a significant technical achievement.

On the contract front, key wins included C²OMODO (CNES/NASA microwave radiometer), Vigil (a solar monitoring satellite to protect Earth from space weather threats) and GRACE-C (next-generation Earth gravity mapping). We also started work on the Pléiades Neo Next series and began constructing a new, higher-resolution satellite platform, further reinforcing our leadership in commercial EO services.

Exploration and Beyond

In deep space, BepiColombo completed its sixth and final flyby of Mercury, with orbital insertion on track for late 2026. ESM-3 joined ESM-2 at Cape Canaveral, where both modules are undergoing integration for future Artemis missions. Preparations for the post-ISS era advanced significantly, with the Starlab team expanding in 2024 and laying strong foundations for commercial low-Earth orbit infrastructure.

Equipment and Systems

Airbus delivered 2,057 equipment units in 2024, underscoring our industrial resilience and the continued trust placed in our technology by global partners.