Angola Establishes National Space Agency Following Presidential Announcement

The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, has announced during his State of the Nation Address the establishment of the Angolan Space Agency as part of efforts to consolidate the National Space Programme. President João Lourenço also noted that the country currently operates its telecommunications satellite, ANGOSAT-2, which supports initiatives such as the Connecta Angola Project, an effort extending communications to remote areas across 13 provinces. The announcement was made on 15 October 2025 at the opening of the 2025–2026 Parliamentary Year in Luanda, Angola.

As outlined in Angola’s White Paper on Information and Communication Technologies 2023–2027 (LBTIC 2023–2027), the Angolan Space Agency is to serve as the country’s central authority on space affairs, overseeing the development of modern and resilient space infrastructure and ensuring Angola’s use of space for peaceful purposes. Additionally, the objective of implementing the National Space Programme is to transform the Republic of Angola from a user of space services, products, and technology into an operator and producer of these. This would thereby strengthen the nation’s technological independence in space.

Building on the experiences of established space agencies across Africa, GGPEN has been engaging in legal and institutional exchanges with leading counterparts to assess and define strategies for establishing the Angolan Space Agency. This process now culminates in the formal creation of the Agency, marking a key milestone in Angola’s pursuit of a structured and sustainable national space governance framework.

Evolution of Angola’s Space Governance Framework

Established under Presidential Decree No. 154/13 of 9 October 2013, the National Space Programme Management Office (GGPEN) functions as the government body responsible for implementing Angola’s National Space Programme. Operating under the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, it promotes the peaceful use of space, promotes cooperation with scientific and technical institutions, and supports capacity development in space science and technology. Over the years, GGPEN has overseen key national initiatives, including the operation of ANGOSAT-2, the Connecta Angola Project, and various training programmes, thereby strengthening Angola’s expertise in satellite communications and related fields.

The establishment of the Angolan Space Agency was foreseen in the Presidential Decree of 10 May 2017, which approved the National Space Strategy for 2016–2025.  Additionally, the strategy outlines plans to transform the existing structure into the Angolan Space Agency. It defines the agency’s broader mandate and functions, offering a clearer picture of how the country’s space sector will be organised.

The strategy identifies the creation of the Angolan Space Agency as a priority structural project under the first National Space Programme. The Executive envisions establishing the Angolan Space Agency through the conversion of the existing body responsible for managing the National Space Programme, GGPEN. Furthermore, while the current framework includes the Interministerial Commission for the General Coordination of GGPEN, the Executive deems it necessary to establish an additional institutional body (the Angolan Space Agency) to implement national space activities and measures to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. However, the space agency will remain under the tutelage of the Interministerial Commission for the General Coordination of the National Space Programme.

Expanded Role for the Angolan Space Agency

The new Angolan Space Agency is intended to operate at a higher and more strategic level of execution, regulation, and international representation. Some of the key differences and expanded capabilities for the new Angolan space agency will include;

• Execution of Strategy and Missions: The agency will be responsible for the execution of the present Space Strategy and the space missions of the State.
• Licensing and Monitoring: The agency will be responsible for licensing and monitoring private space activities.
• Object Registration: The agency will be responsible for registering space objects and will serve as Angola’s primary point of contact with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
• Civilian and Military Coordination:  The space agency will implement civilian and military projects in coordination with the competent entities in each sector of activity, thereby responding more effectively to the dual-use nature of space technology and fostering synergies across sectors.

While GGPEN initially focused on the ANGOSAT programme and capacity building, the Angolan Space Agency is structured to implement all five strategic axes of the national space strategy, thereby broadening Angola’s institutional and operational reach in the space domain. The five strategic axes include space infrastructure, training and promotion, industry and technology, international positioning, and organisation and cooperation. Additionally, the ultimate goal of this institutional transformation is to position Angola as not merely a user and consumer, but as an operator and producer of space services, products, and technology.

Angola joins a growing number of African nations that have established formal space agencies to advance their national space programmes, among them South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, and the recently established Côte d’Ivoire Space Agency. Furthermore, this development complements Africa’s broader space ambitions and strengthens the continent’s collective institutional framework, alongside the recently inaugurated African Space Agency.