Will Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS) Thrive in Africa?
Africa has launched 44 satellites since 1998, and the accompanying ground stations for these satellites either serve as mission control stations, data receiving stations or both, depending on their capacity. With the increasing number of satellite launches and the need to access more data than ever, it begs the question; will Africa adopt ground station as a service (GSaaS)?
Several African…
Are Satellites the Solution to Digital Inclusion in Africa?
Reliable internet access is critical to the growth of businesses and communities across Africa and, by extension, the whole world. Irrespective of the location, consumers and enterprises now demand access to fast and reliable internet services. However, Africa is behind on its digital inclusion plan, with more than half of the continent still without internet access. Most cities in Africa enjoy…
ZINGSA to Tackle Local Socio-Economic Problems Using Geospatial and Space technologies
In 2022, Zimbabwe will join Africa’s growing list of nations to have put a satellite in orbit. Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, disclosed that the locally assembled nanosatellite - ZIMSAT-1 - has reached an advanced development stage. The President disclosed this at the launching of a new complex for the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA). In addition, flight…
An analysis of Africa’s telescope and Observatory Capacities
Africa’s strategic size and location make the continent an astronomy treasure hove. Seven of the 13 countries on the equator are located in Africa. Furthermore, Africa hosts one of the southernmost regions of the Globe, making it a suitable location for southern sky observation, a feature which has not gone unnoticed. This analysis explores Africa’s astronomy scene and explains some of the…
Challenges and Opportunities in the African Space Industry
The African space industry has seen phenomenal growth. As a result, more countries are making cases for the need for national space programmes and the usefulness of space technologies in their sustainable development journeys. However, as the industry becomes more saturated, what are the challenges and possible opportunities attainable within the African space industry? This article investigates…
Remote Sensing Day 2021; Remote Sensing for Development in Africa
In partnership with African Women in GIS, Space Generation Advisory Council, Space Hero and Satellogic, Where Geospatial organised a webinar to commemorate the celebration of Ghana’s first National Remote Sensing Day 2021 on 14 August 2021. The event, themed “Satellite Imagery, the key to Understanding Our World,” aimed to discuss how far remote sensing has come in Africa and how much influence…
Egypt Space Agency Concludes Training Course on Space Technology
The Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) has concluded its space technology training programme. The training is part of the implementation of the African Development Satellite Initiative (AfDev-Sat). Heads of Agencies from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and Sudan came up with the initiative on Egypt’s invitation. AfDev-SAT’s goal is to foster collaboration and advocate capacity development in…
From Astronomy to Covid-19: Big Data Kenya 2021 Hackathon
The Big Data Kenya 2021 Hackathon ended on 30th July 2021. The 5-day event organised by Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA Big Data), Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA) in collaboration with the University of Manchester (UoM) was hosted at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), Nairobi. The event brought…
“There are a lot of Opportunities for Enhanced Collaborations Between Africa and Europe” – Michelle Willebrands
The European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development was officially established on 26 February 2018 at a signing ceremony in Leiden, the Netherlands. The event marked the formation of the tenth Regional Office of Astronomy for Development. The office has, over the course of its existence, had projects in Africa. Space in Africa met up Michelle Willebrands, Project Officer of the office,…
A Glimpse into the AfDev-Sat Initiative with Dr Ayman, Head of Imaging Department at EgSA
Egypt is currently hosting representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt on a satellite training program between 25 July and 5 August 2021 in Cairo. The training is designed to facilitate the launch of a pan-African satellite project named the African Development Satellite Initiative (AfDev-Sat).
During the training, participants will take courses in space project…