Russia to Launch Tanzania’s First EO Satellite in 2027
Russia and Tanzania have agreed to launch a joint space programme after signing a framework memorandum on strategic partnership and cooperation on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov and Mohammed Khamis Abdulla, Permanent Secretary of Tanzania’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, signed the memorandum on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The summit brought delegations from 48 African countries to Moscow this week.
The headline commitment is a launch date. Roscosmos has confirmed that Russia will launch Tanzania’s first Earth remote-sensing satellite in March 2027.
What the Agreement Covers
The memorandum goes beyond a single launch. According to Bakanov, Tanzania plans to establish its own space agency, and Russia is ready to provide expert and methodological support; he added that Roscosmos has already stepped up cooperation with Tanzanian specialists, with support from the Russian presidential administration.
Bakanov said Tanzania is particularly interested in developing its own spacecraft and launching them on Russian rockets. Both sides also discussed sharing Earth remote-sensing data and establishing ground stations in Tanzania to receive it, while Tanzania plans to increase the number of students studying space-related disciplines at Russian universities. The parties agreed to establish joint working groups and develop roadmaps covering all areas of cooperation.
During the summit, Russian specialists showed the Tanzanian delegation Russia’s capabilities in training cosmonauts and space industry specialists and in conducting scientific experiments in space.
Where Tanzania’s Programme Stands
The agreement lands on a programme that has moved quickly in 2026. In February, the government unveiled its Five-Year Strategic Plan for Space Programmes (2025-2030), titled “From Mount Kilimanjaro, the Peak of Africa, to Space,” built on five pillars covering governance, international presence, human capital, public awareness, and space infrastructure. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki has said the ministry is drafting a 2026 National Space Policy and a 2026 Space Act.
The satellite Russia will launch is distinct from TanSat-1, a 1U CubeSat being built by a joint team from the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology and Côte d’Ivoire’s INP-HB under the UNOOSA-JAXA KiboCUBE programme for deployment from the ISS. Tanzania is therefore advancing two separate satellite missions in parallel. The country also secured an orbital position at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 in Dubai.
The institutional piece remains outstanding. Tanzania planned to establish its first space agency in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, a target it has not yet met.
Russia’s Widening African Space Footprint
Tanzania joins a growing list of Russian space partners on the continent. In September 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced a collaboration with Roscosmos to jointly develop telecommunication and remote sensing satellites. The African Space Agency and Roscosmos have also formalised an MoU focused on capacity building and joint development of space applications, and Zimbabwe announced plans in 2024 to build its first spaceport with Russian assistance. At this summit, Moscow presented the space sector as a market for its satellite systems and launch services.
Space in Africa’s assessment, the March 2027 date is the most consequential and most demanding element of the agreement. It sits roughly five months away, which implies a spacecraft already well advanced in production. With TanSat-1 progressing separately through the KiboCUBE programme, the satellite appears to be associated with a different Russian manufacturer. It remains unclear whether the two countries have been developing the satellite for some time and have only recently formalised its use, or whether the arrangement reflects a more recent development. However, details of the satellite, including its specifications, manufacturer, and launch vehicle, have not been disclosed yet. Space in Africa is investigating and will publish a follow-up article once it verifies these details.