Satlyt Signs MoU with GGPEN to Accelerate EO and Geospatial Intelligence in Angola
Satlyt, a San Francisco-based space computing company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Angola’s National Space Program Management Office, GGPEN, to advance Earth observation and geospatial intelligence capabilities in Angola. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the just-concluded ANGOTIC 2026 in Luanda.
The partnership will, in the near term, focus on building faster pathways from satellite imagery to actionable insights across urban planning, agriculture, infrastructure development, environmental monitoring, and resource management, application areas that map directly onto GGPEN’s existing operational platforms and Angola’s broader digital transformation priorities.
Satlyt was founded in 2024 by Rama Afullo, a Kenyan-born computer engineer whose career spans Tesla, Google, and SpaceX, where he served as a product manager on the Starlink programme. The company builds a decentralised space computing platform that turns satellites into networked edge computing nodes capable of processing data directly in orbit, reducing latency and bandwidth requirements while enabling real-time insights and applications. Its core product, the Satlyt AI Network, interconnects satellites from different operators into a unified distributed computing system. The platform also includes a compute marketplace where satellite operators can monetise excess processing capacity on demand.
Commenting on the partnership, Afullo said the agreement brings together meaningful value for both sides. “This partnership is especially meaningful because it sits at the intersection of space infrastructure, AI, and national digital transformation,” he said. “Countries do not just need more connectivity or more satellite data; they need smarter ways to turn space infrastructure into practical outcomes.”
Beyond the immediate geospatial and Earth observation work, the partnership sets a longer-term course toward onboard AI, CubeSat innovation, and the development of sovereign space data capabilities for Angola, ambitions that align with GGPEN’s goal of building an indigenous space economy.
Satlyt has previously deployed software and AI systems in orbit, partnered with The Aerospace Corporation to integrate with the NASA-backed DiskSat satellite architecture, and signed an agreement with the Kenya Space Agency on AI-driven space innovation. The GGPEN partnership extends that African footprint into Angola, one of the space programmes on the continent operating at a level that includes both a communications satellite in orbit and an Earth observation satellite in active development.