AUC, GSSTI and JPO Awareness Workshop on Space Positioning Navigation and Timing in Africa
AUC and EGNOS Africa Joint Programme Office (JPO) with Ghana (Space Science and Technology Institute GSSTI) as the Host Country are co-organizing a high-level workshop on the Implementation of Satellite Positioning and Navigation Services in Western and Central Africa, in Accra from 22 to 23 February 2021.
The central theme of the workshop is “Space Positioning and Navigation & Timing…
Awareness Workshop on Space Positioning and Navigation & Timing in Africa – Challenges and Opportunities in Western and Central Africa
African Union Commission (AUC) and EGNOS Africa Joint Programme Office (JPO) are co-organising a high-level workshop on Implementation of Satellite Positioning and Navigation Services in Western and Central Africa. The workshop's central theme is “Space Positioning and Navigation & Timing Solutions: challenges and opportunities in Western and Central Africa”. The workshop will take place in…
Intelsat selects 16 high school students to participate in XinaBox STEM Challenge
Intelsat, the operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network, is partnering with XinaBox (pronounced “X in a Box”) to deliver space-focused STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning tools to teenagers across the African continent.
Sixteen teenage applicants from all over the continent, including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Sudan, were recently…
Spacecom unveils NationSAT and Digital Community Platform for sub-Saharan Africa
Spacecom, a leading satellite communications service provider, has unveiled two new advanced platforms to enable sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries to provide nationwide coverage. The platforms are NationSAT and Digital Community Platform (DCP), riding on Spacecom’s Amos-17 satellite capabilities.
Spacecom unveiled the new platforms at the Communication Africa 2021 conference on January 28,…
The Status of Funding in the Downstream Segment of Space Applications in Africa
The use of Earth Observation data and Geo-Information Systems (GISs) in various applications in Africa is vital for improved economic productivity of natural resources, human well-being, economic competitiveness at the national level, and the sustainable development of Africa overall. A resulting output of efforts to use EO/GIS is that governments have started to use comprehensible science,…
Earth Observation data can help Africa’s economy to recover post-COVID-19, says report
Earth Observation (EO) data can be used to make informed, strategic and inclusive decisions that would help African economies recover from the effects of the global pandemic, coronavirus (COVID-19).
EO involves the gathering of data and information about Earth’s physical, chemical, meteorological and biological systems using in situ, aerial and space-borne platforms. It provides a lot of…
Egypt To Launch Satellite By The End Of 2021
A series of Egyptian satellites dubbed “Next” will be launched starting from December, executive director of the Egyptian Space Agency said Saturday. According to Al-Quosi, “Cairo, in cooperation with German and Chinese partners, will launch new satellites, the first of which is a satellite for remote sensing and scientific research, weighing 65 kilograms. It will be launched in December this…
What are the policies on sharing of satellite data in Africa?
Credible data is the basis of good policy decisions. And the decisions of policymakers in Africa across multiple sectors have shown they are credulous. African countries lack—and have poor—data.
It seems African leaders go with their gut feeling in decision-making rather than subscribe to Dr Williams Deming’s mantra, "In God we trust, everyone else must bring data". Hence, we seldom see…
AfAS establishes African Network of Women in Astronomy to improve status of women in science
African Network of Women in Astronomy (AfNWA) has been established under the African Astronomical Society (AfAS). It was established in September 2020 as one of the committees under AfAS.
Astronomy and space sciences are experiencing significant growth in Africa. For the benefit of all, AfNWA initiative would guarantee female participation at all level of these new and important developments,…
Space Debris Cleanup: We’ve polluted the Earth, now space too?
Space debris is an essential part of space exploration that is seldom discussed despite its far-reaching effects.
It is quite troubling to think that there is an enormous amount of human-generated waste just floating about in the orbit. (I mean it’s bad enough that we’ve polluted the Earth this much already, but now space too?). These particles in space pose a big risk to space projects — if not…