Earth Observation
RCMRD International Conference 2024 and the 8th AfriGEO Symposium
The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) is inviting interested individuals to attend its 8th AfriGEO Symposium, themed "Earth Intelligence for Africa," and the RCMRD International Conference (RIC 2024), themed “EARTH: Our only Home,” which will be held from 12th to 15th August 2024 at RCMRD headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mustapha Iderawumi, Senior Analyst at Space in Africa, will be speaking on the panel at the RIC 2024 titled "Policy Formulation and Science Policy linkages." He will also give a keynote address on Africa's resources, population, economic strength, EO market, trends and potential.
Registration is still open, so join us in Nairobi.
2023 in Review: The Earth Observation Industry Segment in Africa
The Earth Observation segment remains one of the fastest-growing industry segments in the global space industry. It is the most populous sector within the African space industry, with more NewSpace companies springing up in the ecosystem yearly, thus attracting significant investments because of its significant impact in addressing developmental challenges in Africa and meeting various sustainable development goals, including Zero Hunger, Climate Action, Sustainable Cities, Life on Land and Life on Water, and so forth.
This potential for solving real-world problems has been a critical driver for this industry segment. According to the Euroconsult EO Data and Services Market report, the global EO market was valued at USD 4.6 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 8 billion by 2029. The African EO market grew from USD 150 million in 2019 to USD 170.74 million in 2021, with the downstream segment playing an essential role in driving demand, yet the market is projected to hit USD 183.9 million by 2026.
The African EO segment has over 270 earth observation, geospatial, and remote sensing NewSpace companies in its ecosystem. These companies and organisations offer various services across the continent, generating millions of dollars in revenue. The EO downstream sector mainly includes small and medium-sized companies with high technological know-how, developing commercial applications from satellite data (value-added services), geo-information firms, consultancy companies, research institutes with artificial intelligence expertise, and hardware/software development companies.
The impact of EO applications is not lost on African governments, with more African countries launching earth observation satellites than any other type. Regarding EO project investments from governments and foreign space players, more downstream companies focus on raising funding and cinching partnership agreements with governments, foreign actors, financial institutions, and other NewSpace companies for EO-related projects. Therefore, African commercial companies and foreign and regional organisations' consolidated efforts are critical elements in the EO market.
EO Application Services by the Commercial Segment
Agriculture, urban development, mapping, land use and land cover, water and natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, and insurance are some of the popular EO and geospatial application areas that commercial African EO companies cater to.
Agriculture: Earth Observation data is extensively used in agriculture across Africa. It helps monitor crop health, predict yields, and manage natural resources efficiently. This has a direct impact on food security and agricultural productivity.
Kitovu, a Nigerian agro-data company that deploys climate-smart farming and post-harvest infrastructure to support small-holder farmers using earth observation data, has a platform that allows us to leverage and analyse satellite and soil data to provide farmers with tailored recommendations in terms of input usage, crop health monitoring, and good agro-practices that are suited for the farmers’ locations and crops they are growing. In 2023, the company launched the first of its many Farmer Service Centres in August 2023 to access and share required precision agriculture data, lease equipment, be a product point of sale, fund farmers and facilitate product storage for the smallholder farmers on its platform. As of the end of 2023, Kitovu has helped smallholder farmers increase their crop yields by 30%, cut down harvest losses by 20%, and increase their annual income by 40%. Similarly, another Nigerian company, Rural Farmers Hub, specialises in software development that harnesses remote sensing satellite data for agricultural applications to optimise crop production and enhance the health and output of the agricultural industry downstream. This year, they focused on utilising nutrition and regenerative agriculture data at the grain, germination and fruit levels. Earlier in November, EKC Egypt shared a proposal to develop a mobile application focused on irrigation and water management for Nigerian farmers in Nigeria. This app will provide farmers with tools to manage their crops, including scheduling irrigation cycles, monitoring quantities, and integrating environmental factors such as weather forecasting tailored for various African countries.
Urban Planning and Infrastructure Development: EO technologies have been pivotal to urban planning and infrastructure development projects in which African governments have invested. Providing valuable data for mapping and monitoring land use changes propels decision-makers to support sustainable urban growth. In Malawi, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) developed a mobile application to help the Malawi government map their land parcels and boundaries for the titling program. This is a fully developed mobile application that Malawi now uses to prod parcels, capture boundaries and directly transmit the data for the measurements to the server. This automation system has reduced bottlenecks and the long process of having people manually survey, compute, and draw maps into the system. Thus helping the country to speed up its land demarcation and adjudication process. OEA Consults, a drone mapping and geospatial analyses company, has also worked on various urban planning projects in 2023, including designing some islands in Nigeria.
Environmental Monitoring and Climate Change: Although Africa contributes the lowest to greenhouse gas emissions, it remains the most vulnerable continent globally and the most affected by climate change. This harms food security, ecosystems and economies, fueling displacement and migration and worsening the threat of conflict over dwindling resources. According to Relief Web, More than 110 million people on the continent were directly affected by weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2022, causing more than USD 8.5 billion in economic damages. There were a reported 5,000 fatalities, of which 48% were associated with drought and 43% were associated with flooding. Thus, Earth Observation data and technologies are crucial for monitoring and managing environmental changes, including monitoring weather and climate changes, tracking deforestation, assessing water resources, and monitoring wildlife habitats to support conservation efforts, amongst many others. To this end, RCMRD, under the commission of the World Bank, set up and implemented a Community-Based Flood Early Warning System (CBFEWS) in ten flood-prone districts in Malawi this year, which has been instrumental in saving lives and managing flooding in various parts of the country. Additionally, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, RMCRD was able to set up a system for plant pests and surveillance so that we can be able to detect or understand the patterns of climate-driven pests and diseases, and measures can be set up in advance in Kenya. To this end, the RCMRD developed mobile application systems to capture the factors that drive these pests so that the country can plan better. Likewise, OEA Consults worked on flood risk mapping for the Lagos State Government, using the digital terrain model developed from drone imagery. Through drone mapping and modelling, they developed a map of high-risk, low-risk, medium to low-risk flood areas and a suitability analysis to help decision-makers designate land for the state's best practices, residential, and industrial purposes.
Water Resource Management: EO applications have been pivotal in managing and monitoring water resources for biodiversity conservation, agriculture, and public health. This year, Rural Farmers Hub focused on water resource management to enhance productivity in agriculture. Many of its innovations in 2023 were on the software abstraction level for its Capture application. Water management is one of the thematic areas they worked on as a new offering. The company’s utilisation of evapotranspiration measurements primarily focuses on assessing water stress and effectively addressing water stress concerns. Evapotranspiration is a gauge for water loss occurring both at the crop and ground levels. This process involves evaporation from the soil surface and transpiration from plant leaves. Understanding this water loss helps determine the appropriate irrigation levels, preventing unnecessary water wastage. Thus, on the Capture app, farmers can access a water stress map, though not at the resolution level achievable by satellites, to enhance farm produce to match market demands.
Similarly, under the auspices of the GMES and Africa programme, RCMRD and ESIPPS International jointly developed a wetlands vulnerability analysis tool to enhance the wetlands monitoring and assessment using geo-information processing tools and techniques and empower wetlands monitoring institutions and other authorities with capacities to identify the risk thresholds of wetlands ecosystems for intervention and restoration opportunities.
Disaster and Risk Management: The IMF reports that from the Central African Republic to Somalia and Sudan, fragile states suffer more from floods, droughts, storms and other climate-related shocks than other countries when they have contributed the least to climate change. Each year, three times more people are affected by natural disasters in fragile states than in other countries. Disasters in fragile states displace more than twice the share of the population in other countries. Thus, EO plays an essential role in disaster management and response, and the availability of satellite imagery helps assess the extent of natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, and droughts, enabling better preparedness and response strategies. In this aspect, in January 2023, Pinkmatter, an Earth observation software provider, was a key element in acquiring, processing and redistributing real-time polar-orbiting satellite data via a network of reception stations to the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) for the Satellite and Weather Information for Disaster Resilience in Africa (SAWIDRA) project, which aims to improve the weather forecast and product production capacity in Africa to provide input for risk reduction and issuing of early warnings. 4 African countries used its FarEarth for Ground Segments products to do this. Satellite data from the SAWIDRA project is currently being distributed to countries in Southern Africa, Kenya, Meteo France, the Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD) and the USA from the UKMET Met Office. It will be further distributed to Northern Africa and Western African countries. Moreover, the RCMRD is working with the Kenyan government on hazard mapping for droughts, diseases, etc. These are critical inputs in spatial planning, especially in Kenya for different countries.
Capacity Building: Efforts are being made to enhance African professionals' capacity in Earth Observation. Training programs, workshops, and collaborations with international agencies contribute to building expertise in remote sensing and geospatial technologies. In 2023, companies such as Geomatica, RCMRD, and Eureka GEO, among others, will be frontline capacity building in earth observation technologies and applications in Africa. Geomatica worked with the Senegal Ministry of Professional Education, the French Embassy to Senegal, Commune Ronkh, Commune de Ngueniene, and many other organisations from local to regional levels this year to organise tailored training sessions on geographic dashboards, map construction, and provide technical support and advisory services in s GIS mapping, remote sensing, and programming tools. The RCMRD has been instrumental in training people in different geospatial and remote sensing application areas, supporting people undertaking master's degrees to intern internships, and then training students in topical areas. Eureka GEO, a geospatial capacity-building company based in Cameroon, worked on defining the needs of the Cameroonian geospatial ecosystem, determining the appropriate approach to meet these needs, interest the government and academia in Earth observation applications for the country and lobbying for policies that align with the African Space Policy.
Government adoption and impact of national policies on organisational operations
Government adoption of their services and national policies have been favourable. Many of these organisations are EO downstream companies operating in the geospatial, agricultural, mapping and surveying industries. In Nigeria, the government has given room for advocacy in cases where a regulation or law is unsuitable for a project. Similarly, Senegal has the National Plan for Geomatics, fostering collaboration among public, private, and educational entities for data collection and sharing. The growing interest in using EO technologies and applications has contributed significantly to increased government involvement in EO applications. African governments are beginning to understand the importance of spatial data in making decisions as regards the management of resources for inclusive development and growth. The RCMRD’s services and operations are reinforced and encouraged by its member states in East and South Africa, thus drawing influence from its mandate. Therefore, the RCMRD enjoys continuous support from the Kenyan space programme and government, also one of the organisation’s biggest beneficiaries. On the contrary, companies in Western Africa do not particularly enjoy space technological support from their governments or experience significant positive influence in their operations or sub-industries by their countries’ space involvement. However, they believe Africa represents a distinctive market for GIS solutions.
Challenges to business development and organisational growth
In 2023, some of the most significant challenges African downstream EO companies faced in business and operational development include infrastructure and internet connectivity, government policies and initiatives, the ageing workforce in certain industries they operate in, significant increase in service demand that cannot be met, inflationary pressures, funding constraints, an unskilled workforce, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of Pinkmatter’s biggest challenges is the unavailability of critical skills, similar to one of the issues hampering business development at Rural Farmer’s Hub. There is a declining population of farmers in Nigeria, a region where agriculture and crop production contribute about 25% of the national GDP. According to the company’s database, the average farmer is in their fifties, many of whom are uncertain about committing to farming in the long term. There is a pressing need to sustain and fortify Africa’s midstream space workforce and downstream application workforce with improved capacity development programmes, appropriate infrastructure, and incentives designed to increase interest in these sectors and retain the youth population.
Similarly, the digital gap and the cost of stable and speedy internet connectivity pose a critical challenge to enhancing the quality of EO data in rural areas. While there is coverage in certain areas, the available bandwidth does not suffice, affecting the adoption of services and EO applications that require adequate connectivity. African governments must double down on improving and expanding wireless and broadband infrastructure, which is crucial to effectively utilise and benefit from EO data.
On the other hand, organisations like the RCMRD and Kitovu are experiencing high demands they struggle to meet for various reasons. To solve this issue, the RCMRD has been working on collaborations and partnerships with various organisations in the industry to take on some of their projects. However, this solution poses the challenge of providing adequate resources, funding, and capacity for these partners to properly carry out their end of the deal. For Kitovu, financing its operations due to its business model has been significantly hampering business development in Nigeria. The company’s services are structured in a postpaid system, so it has to bear the initial costs of its services to its clients for the first few months before making profits after a couple of months. In the past month, Kitovu had to turn down about 90% of the farmers who wanted to use its platforms and services.
For OEA Consults, recent inflation continues to raise the cost of drones, tools, and resources needed for business operations, spending as high as triple the regular price due to currency fluctuations, a situation that influences services costs and their clients, as well. At Geomatica, raising funding has proved strenuous as investments have dwindled since the COVID-19 pandemic. Raising funding is often difficult for a small company, especially when revenue or operation criteria are not in their favour.
Like the others, Eureka GEO struggles with human resources and macroeconomic challenges, especially since the pandemic. Africa does not have an adequate skilled workforce in its space industry, making industry development and business operations for NewSpace companies even more gruelling. For instance, Eureka GEO has to spend a lot on training its workforce and preparing it to take on projects, which costs the company the time and resources required to deliver on projects properly.
In addition, government policies and initiatives could use the participation of the private sector to adequately meet its goals, increase impact, and ensure sustainability. More Africa countries need to create favourable environments and space for collaboration with private sectors, aggregators, and similar entities to undertake tasks currently managed by the government to yield better results. Inefficiencies could inadvertently diminish the purchasing power of farmers. This hampers the growth of services and product sales directed towards farmers, affecting their potential earnings.
Financing
How are African NewSpace companies accessing funding opportunities and, investments and grants, how many companies are funded or bootstrapping, and how much revenue are some of these companies generating yearly? According to Space in Africa, of 442 NewSpace companies, over 60% is bootstrapping; many are funded by their business revenue, while others are funded by governments, grants, IPOs, venture capital, angel investors, and private equity.
Companies like Pinkmatter, OEA Consults, Geomatica, EKC Egypt, Kitovu, and Eureka GEO are privately held bootstrapping companies running on their revenue. Though none of the aforementioned companies raised any funding in 2023, Rural Farmers Hub closed a USD 500,000 funding round in 2022. Other organisations such as Kitovu, Geomatica, and Eureka GEO are exploring funding opportunities. The latter is in the middle of an accelerator programme facilitated by the African Development Bank with the promise of funding at the end of the programme in December 2023. Meanwhile, Kitovu intends to close a funding round by the second quarter of 2024. RCMRD, on the other hand, is funded by its revenue and member states. Nevertheless, the organisation funds 80% of its operations from its annual returns. For other companies, such as Amini, 2023 has been a year of fundraising and expansion. The Nairobi-based climate tech startup focused on solving Africa’s environmental data gap through artificial intelligence and satellite technology raised USD 2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Pale Blue Dot. In December 2023, they closed a USD 4 million seed funding round led by SalesForce Ventures and Female Founds Fund to drive Amini’s expansion into other sectors.
Though many organisations have big expansion plans, most downstream companies generate revenue from the African market. Organisations like Pinkmatter, RCMRD, and EKC Egypt generate revenue from the global market. Between 2019 and 2023, some of these companies averaged USD 500,000 in revenue.
Operations
According to the Union of Equality: EU Defence, Aeronautics and Space Sectors report, women make up only 20% of the workforce in the space sector. Minorities are also highly underrepresented. However, some companies show promise and many are working to bridge the gender gap in their teams. On EKC Egypt’s team, 70% are women. Similarly, at Kitovu, 45% of its regular team members are women, and 60% of its senior leadership are female. At Eureka GEO, 50% of its workforce is female. Geomatica and OEA Consults report 60% and 40%, respectively, while 28% of the Rural Farmers Hub team are women.
Rural Farmers Hub, OEA Consults, and Kitovu are Nigerian companies with 100% Nigerian staff. Similarly, Geomatica is 100% Senegalese. On the contrary, EKC Egypt’s team comprises approximately 90% Egyptian personnel, with the remaining 10% coming from Libya and Sudan, and Eureka GEO’s team is 60% Cameroonian.
2024 Outlook
For most organisations, business development, increased product offerings, operation expansion, partnerships, and conversion rates are the top of their 2024 priorities.
Regarding partnerships, Kitovu Technology is looking to collaborate with governments to find out and leverage agricultural touchpoints and agents as Farmer Service Centres to reach more local, smallholder farmers and easily track data, a scarce resource in the African agricultural sector. They are also working on partnerships with input manufacturers for fertilisers, seeds, and agrochemicals to leverage their farmer service centre model and to work with them to get these things to farmers. This way, farmers get increased access to resources and tailored support to ensure improved farming results. Other partnerships in the pipeline include deals with farm equipment companies to figure out a lease model of equipment to smallholder farmers through the Farmer Service centres and collaboration with financial institutions to scale up access to finance for farmers.
In 2023, Rural Farmers Hub (RFH) collaborated with the Global Alliance for Unimproved Nutrition (GAIN) on regenerative agriculture and nutrition to find ways to use data to improve crop nutrient levels. Through this partnership, the organisation has worked to collect and analyse data and will focus on using satellite data and analytics to help farmers grow more nutritious food. Apart from regional partners, the organisation has also been working with foreign space actors in Italy and Egypt to explore water resource management technologies, and there are plans for a potential partnership with Constellr and other companies in Europe, like Planetek Italia, for the same technology.
Collaborations and partnerships are also pivotal to business expansion for some organisations. Rural Farmers Hub is working towards a partnership with Orange Telecom to establish business operations in other African countries and boost the launch of its Village Chief application in 2024. The company is considering expanding to other West African Francophone countries like Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire. Meanwhile, RCMRD will continue working with its member states to organise data analyses and land cover training. It has also been selected as one of the centres of excellence in Africa and will be working with the European Union to implement biodiversity and forest monitoring services in Eastern and Southern Africa, which will involve extensive collaboration with institutions and African governments.
Presently, EKC Egypt is developing a GIS map cloud service for the Kenya Space Agency in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and is looking forward to partnering with the Nigerian government. Thus, for 2024, their focal point is to develop applications — in collaboration with African governments– for farmers to assist with crop management, offer insights into diverse weather conditions, and recommend appropriate watering methods based on specific crop types. Similarly, Kitovu aims to have some presence in either Ghana or Rwanda, depending on the kind of partnerships the company can secure.
Expansion
As EO companies continue to propagate in the African and global EO markets, African companies are looking to set up operations in other regions of the continent or parts of the world. Companies such as Pinkmatter and EKC Egypt already have thriving bases in other countries, serving clients on six continents. The former has offices in South Africa, Canada, and Germany, while the latter already operates in Egypt and Kuwait. Nevertheless, EKC Egypt is working on expanding its operations to other African countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Similarly, Geomatica is working on unveiling two offices in West, Central or East Africa and is actively considering opening offices in France. OEA Consults also disclosed plans to set up operations in Canada, and Rural Farmers Hub is considering Europe.
Meanwhile, Kitovu is laser-focused on expanding its operations in Africa, and some of its target locations are Kenya, Zambia, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. However, the organisation is presently finalising plans to set up operations in the Benin Republic by the first quarter of 2024 and another African country by the second quarter of the year to try out new and more sustainable business models, products and services and data collection. With this priority, the company will start with commodity products that will not burden its operations with cash flow issues. At the same time, it works on understanding the local ecosystem and building partnerships. In 2023, Kitovu Technology expanded its operations from its base in Iseyin to a Farmers' Service Centre in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, and it has mapped out 12 other locations to build these centres in 2024.
Pinkmatter focuses on expanding its FarEarth and antenna-hosting customer base and increasing its human capacity. In 2024, the company plans to grow its staff by 20 - 25% and expand operations to 2 - 3 regions, focusing more on Africa. RCMRD’s primary expansion focus is on building the capacity of Africa’s young population to transform EO data into usable information and services. Moreover, the organisation aims to be continually at the forefront of African EO partnerships with foreign partners.
In collaboration with African governments or authorities, EKC Egypt wants to build mobile applications designed for farmers to assist with crop management, offer insights into diverse weather conditions, and recommend appropriate watering methods based on specific crop types.
In the first quarter of 2024, Rural Farmers Hub intends to launch Umbrla, an adapted satellite-enabled big data analytics dashboard tailored for the insurance industry. The platform will provide insights to assist insurance companies in accurately assessing insurance claims in the agriculture sector. Its offerings include personalised precision marketing, leveraging satellite data to accurately identify the most suitable insurance products for each farmer at fair and appropriate prices. The company also intends to relaunch its flagship product, Capture, with a broader market approach in the first quarter of 2024. Furthermore, OEA Consults is already setting up a branch in Canada; therefore, in 2024, it will focus on scaling up in the Canadian market. In the meantime, it is exploring expansion options in other African countries.
For African NewSpace companies, 2023 was the year to gather momentum, lay the groundwork for growth, and fix business operation obstacles. With several expansion plans in play and funding opportunities, much is expected from the Africa EO segment in 2024.
Simera Sense, CubeSpace, and Sodern Signs MOU on Advancing EO Capabilities
During the World Satellite Business Week summit held from 11 - 15 September at the Westin Paris - Vendôme Hotel in Paris, Johann Du Toit, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Simera Sense, Mike-Alec Kearney, CEO of CubeSpace and Vincent Dedieu, CEO of Sodern, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on advancing the future of Earth Observation (EO).
The MOU will enhance collaborative efforts to ensure the successful execution of all EO-based missions. Moreover, it sets the stage for satellite operators to optimise their mission deliverables in the shortest time possible. In essence, this MOU reflects a strategic move towards advancing the effectiveness of EO missions, fostering innovation, and enabling the delivery of critical data for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to scientific research.
SSGI Unveils LASAC Project and Launches its System Engineering Book
The Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) hosted the launch of a system engineering book and unveiled the Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center (LASAC) project in Addis Ababa. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dr Mesfin Melaku, the institute’s executive researcher specialising in aerospace engineering and satellite communication, attended the occasion, among other notable officials.
The inauguration of the system engineering book symbolised a significant achievement and highlighted the preparation of researchers possessing extensive experience and profound knowledge in the field. At the launch, Abdisa Yilma, SSGI’s Director General, and Dr Mesfin Melaku, the chief scientist at NASA, emphasised the book's importance in enabling problem-solving approaches and cost-effective methodologies.
Furthermore, Abdisa Yilma commented that the Earth Observation Satellite Application Center (LASAC) is powered by a 2-metre resolution satellite that covers the entire surface of Ethiopia, producing data worth USD 2.88 million annually.
According to him, in 2021, at the 8th China-Africa Cooperation Ministerial Conference, the Chinese government committed to enhancing digital economic cooperation between Africa and China. As part of this pledge, they vowed to support the accessibility of the Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center (LASAC) service for African countries. Following this, on 2 December 2022, a five-year Memorandum of Understanding was signed to establish the Earth Observation Satellites Application Center Service. This initiative was coordinated by the Embassy of China, solidifying the cooperation between the two entities and marking an important step towards strengthening technological cooperation in the Earth observation segment.
Over USD 4.7 billion Spent on 58 Satellite Projects in Africa
As of June 2023, African nations have invested a significant amount of USD 4.71 billion to manufacture and launch satellites. This expenditure has resulted in the manufacture and launch of 58 satellites, of which 15 countries across four regions manufactured 55. Additionally, three multilateral satellites were sponsored through a collaborative effort involving multiple African institutions.
Analysing the regional distribution of satellite manufacturing costs, Northern Africa emerges as the frontrunner, accounting for 56.81% of the total expenditure. Multilateral agreements contribute 21.49% of the costs, while Western Africa, Southern Africa, and Eastern Africa represent 12.28%, 9.46%, and 0.25%, respectively. A deeper dive reveals that Egypt leads with USD 1.76 billion spent on 12 satellite projects, closely followed by USD 1.01 billion from three (3) multilateral investments involving collaboration between multiple African nations. Conversely, countries such as Ghana, Mauritius, Tunisia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, which are in the early stages of their space programmes, have collectively invested less than USD 1.86 million.
African countries invest in satellite technology to address socioeconomic needs and drive development. The allocation of resources, regional disparities, and varying levels of technological advancement among participating nations contribute to the diverse landscape of Africa's satellite endeavours. Thus, these satellites serve various socioeconomic development functions, with a primary focus on Earth observation (26), technology demonstration (14), communications (15), education (2) and military surveillance (1).
Regarding the cost breakdown of manufacturing small and large satellites, African countries have allocated USD 4.46 billion towards launching 18 large satellites, constituting 95% of the total cost of all launched satellites. On the other hand, 40 small satellites have been deployed at a cumulative cost of USD 250.6 million.
And yet, there are many more satellite projects underway or in the conceptual stage in Africa, and new manufacturing opportunities continue emerging for foreign and indigenous players to lead various projects. Annually, the launch and manufacturing segment of the African space industry continues to record exponential development due to the increased renewed interest in space technologies and innovation in Africa.
The Powerhouses Behind Africa’s Satellite Manufacturing
Of the 58 satellites, Africa has locally manufactured 32.8% (19) of them, while the remaining 39 satellites were outsourced to foreign contractors and sub-contractors. For this analysis, a satellite is considered locally made if it was entirely manufactured by an African institution or through a collaboration or exchange programme involving an African and foreign institution.
France emerges as the leading manufacturer of African satellites, with Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence & Space being the key players. They have received a substantial USD 2.9 billion for manufacturing ten (10) satellites. China follows closely behind France, with the China Academy of Space Technology, Smart Satellite Technology, China Great Wall Industry Corporation, Shenzhen Aerospace Oriental Red Sea Satellite Co, and DFH Aerospace being the prominent contributors. They have secured contracts worth USD 831.79 million for launching nine satellites. Russia holds the third position, with RSC Energia, Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems Company, and NPO Mashinostroyeniya as significant players. They have received USD 564 million for manufacturing five satellites.
Regarding locally manufactured satellites, South Africa stands out as the leading manufacturer in Africa. It has manufactured the majority of satellites among all African countries, with 12 out of its 13 satellites being locally made. This impressive accomplishment can be attributed to South Africa's thriving cluster of privately-owned NewSpace companies specialising in various core-satellite technology development sub-sectors. Notably, South Africa is the host country for 25 of the 30 surveyed manufacturing countries, further highlighting its dominance in the African satellite manufacturing landscape.
Typically, the responsibility of satellite operations falls upon the primary space agency or an established satellite operator. These entities play a crucial role in managing and overseeing the functioning of satellites in orbit. They are entrusted with monitoring the satellite's performance, executing necessary manoeuvres, and ensuring its seamless operation throughout its lifespan. The satellite operator's expertise and experience are paramount in maintaining communication, data transmission, and other critical functions of the satellite, thereby maximising its operational efficiency and achieving the intended mission objectives.
The Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) has emerged as the leading satellite operator, overseeing the operation of six (6) satellites. The National Authority of Remote Sensing and Space Science (NARSS) and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) also manage an impressive fleet of five (5) satellites each. These institutions have demonstrated their capabilities in operating and utilising satellite systems for various applications, such as communication, remote sensing and scientific research.
Who Launched Africa’s 58 Satellites?
For all its 58 satellites, Africa has employed 18 foreign launch service providers to launch its satellites into orbit, including SpaceX, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST), and Arianespace.
Arianespace and SpaceX have emerged as Africa's leading choices for launch service providers. Arianespace, a joint venture between France and Italy, has demonstrated its expertise by successfully deploying eight (8) communications satellites and two (2) Earth Observation (EO) satellites for the continent. One of the critical reasons behind Africa's preference for Arianespace is their utilisation of the Guiana Space Centre, which offers highly favourable launch conditions for missions targeting geostationary orbit.
The geographical advantage of the Guiana Space Centre lies in its proximity to the equator. This characteristic allows for launching satellites closer to their desired orbital positions, reducing the time and energy required for orbital manoeuvres. Moreover, the faster rotational speed of the Earth near the equator offers an additional velocity boost to rockets during launch, enabling more efficient and cost-effective missions.
Spaceports located near the equator, like the Guiana Space Centre, provide a compelling solution for satellite launches in terms of cost-effectiveness. The higher rotational speed at these latitudes increases launch efficiency and payload capacity. Consequently, satellite operators find it advantageous to leverage these launch facilities, leading to a strong preference for Arianespace in the African market.
Similarly, SpaceX has significantly contributed to Africa's satellite deployment efforts by launching 12 satellites, except one, primarily nanosatellites destined for Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The reliability and capability of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket have played a significant role in driving their engagement in the African market. In addition, SpaceX's commitment to supporting initiatives such as the BIRDS project and the KiboCUBE initiative has further solidified its presence as a trusted partner for African satellite operators.
Launch Locations of Historical Satellites
Generally, satellite functions influence their sizes and orbital location; thus, African satellite users select launch locations for the specific satellite function they intend to operate. For example, EO satellites must be relatively close to the Earth to ensure high-resolution images. Hence, they utilise low-earth orbits (LEO). Likewise, communication satellites need to match the speed of the planet such that any ground station can stay pointed in the same direction all the time towards the satellite, which requires using a geostationary orbit.
Furthermore, the Guiana Space Centre's prominence in launching large satellites for Africa can be attributed to the strong correlation between Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites and communication satellites. GEO satellites, positioned at a specific altitude above the equator, are crucial in providing telecommunications and broadcasting services across the continent.
The Guiana Space Centre has demonstrated its capability by successfully deploying approximately 53% of Africa's large satellites. Large satellites, often used for communication purposes, require precise and accurate deployment into their designated orbits. The expertise and infrastructure available at the Guiana Space Centre have made it the preferred choice for launching such satellites.
In addition, the space centre has also played a significant role in launching approximately 58% of Africa's communication satellites. These satellites enable communication services across the continent, including television broadcasting, internet connectivity, and telephony. Given the critical importance of communication satellites for Africa's socio-economic development, the Guiana Space Centre's track record in successfully deploying them has solidified its position as the frontrunner for meeting Africa's communication needs.
What Does the Future Hold?
Space in Africa projects that by 2026, an additional five (5) African countries will join the ranks of those declaring their space ambitions. These countries aim to develop space assets and harness the associated technologies to manage their natural resources effectively, enhance environmental monitoring against natural and human-made disasters, improve connectivity among their citizens, and advance their digital inclusion plans, among other objectives.
It is anticipated that 105 satellites will be launched by 2026, involving 20 African countries, including a collaborative effort by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Nine of these satellites will be large-scale, while the majority, 96, will be small. The demand for smaller satellites continues to grow throughout Africa as countries recognise the potential benefits of these more affordable satellite projects. Smaller satellites offer the opportunity to showcase and test new technologies while facilitating the development of expertise in space systems engineering. Moreover, using commercial off-the-shelf components in small satellite manufacturing allows for easier production than traditional large satellites, which are more expensive and require more extended manufacturing periods.
This projection indicates a positive trend in Africa's space sector, with an increasing number of countries recognising the importance of space technology for their development agendas. The proliferation of satellites, particularly smaller ones, highlights Africa's efforts to leverage space assets cost-effectively while fostering innovation and building the necessary human capital in space systems engineering.
Dragonfly Aerospace Reveals EOS SAT-1's First Stunning Images
Dragonfly Aerospace, a commercial leader in cutting-edge satellite imaging technology, announced the release of the first images captured by its revolutionary satellite, EOS SAT-1. This milestone marks a significant achievement for Dragonfly Aerospace and EOS Data Analytics (EOS DA) and a major leap in high-resolution satellite imaging. With its advanced imaging technology, the satellite can monitor up to one million square kilometres daily, focusing on plant monitoring to enhance agriculture by improving plant health and reducing stress.
Dragonfly Aerospace's cutting-edge imaging technology, combined with the AI-powered satellite imagery analytics provided by EOS Data Analytics (EOS DA), creates a powerful synergy in satellite-based monitoring and analysis. This integration of expertise and capabilities facilitates a full-cycle operational process for EOS SAT-1 and ensures the delivery of accurate and actionable insights to support agricultural practices.
The successful launch and operational establishment of EOS SAT-1 on 3 January 2023 is a testament to the vertical integration of multiple space companies under the ownership of Max Polyakov and Noosphere Ventures. Their investment and support have enabled the realisation of this groundbreaking satellite imaging technology, bringing immense potential for advancements in agriculture and environmental monitoring.
The first image released by Dragonfly from EOS SAT-1 shows the city of Cape Town taken at a resolution of 1.5 m with a swath of 44 km and was taken with 11 spectral bands — an unprecedented spatial, spectral, and swath combination. Similarly, images from EOS SAT-1 can deliver valuable information for harvest monitoring, such as soil moisture, yield prediction, biomass levels, mapping, seasonal planning, and infrastructure monitoring applications. In addition, the data from this satellite aims to support growers in developing sustainable agricultural methods with improved yields that can reduce the need for cutting down forests and help maintain biodiversity on the planet.
“We are excited to unveil these remarkable first images released from EOS SAT-1,” said Bryan Dean, CEO of Dragonfly Aerospace. “EOS SAT-1 was specifically designed for agricultural monitoring and featured a vast field of view that can capture incredible detail across large areas of agricultural land. Farming intelligently is how we can look after the whole ecosystem while improving food security for people worldwide.”
According to the EOS-SAT-1 mission statement, the satellite is the first of a seven-satellite constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO) for customer EOS DA, designed to support the implementation of sustainable agriculture methods and forestland monitoring with high-quality data and analysis. Thus, the remaining six satellites will be deployed over the next three years, and the completed constellation will monitor 90% of all farmlands and forests worldwide with a five-day revisit time.
CEO of EOS Data Analytics, Artiom Anisimov, is delighted with the first images from EOS SAT-1. “We are thrilled to embark on this new journey that will enable us to harness proprietary datasets, providing our customers and partners unparalleled insights and enhanced accuracy. In addition, EOS DA remains steadfast in our pursuit of innovation, and we look forward to unlocking further advancements that will revolutionise the industry and benefit our global community.”
The imaging capabilities of the EOS SAT constellation will revolutionise Earth observation by offering data correlated with the industry-standard Sentinel-2 while providing commercial tasking at an enhanced spatial resolution and higher revisit rate. Furthermore, this advancement will unlock precious insights and provide a fresh perspective on the health of agricultural land worldwide, contributing to a better understanding of our planet's ecosystem.
For more information, please contact info@dragonflyaerospace.com.
SayariLabs Launches its 3U Earth Observation Satellite, Taifa-1
SayariLabs, in collaboration with the Kenya Space Agency and Endurosat, has launched Kenya’s first 3U Earth observation satellite, the Taifa-1, today aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 full thrust rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E), Vandenberg Space Force Base in the USA.
A team of Kenyan engineers from SayariLabs, designed and constructed Taifa-1 in collaboration with Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer Endurosat AD, which helped offset the design cost. The satellite was intentionally designed to weigh a ton to reduce development time and launch costs and to facilitate entry for developing countries without the capacity for large satellites.
Visit here to rewatch the lift-off of Taifa-1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the USA.
Taifa-1's launch is the first step towards developing a proposed constellation of small EO satellites for Kenya. It is expected to significantly contribute to spurring the growth of Kenya’s space economy by improving satellite development, data analytics, processing, and application capabilities. In addition, the mission is expected to provide accurate and timely Earth observation data to stakeholders across various sectors for strategic developmental decisions. For example, the data will support agriculture, natural resource management, and environmental observations. Additionally, the satellite launch demonstrates Kenya’s progress in developing satellite manufacturing capabilities for socio-economic benefits.
According to the satellite's mission statement released by the Kenya Space Agency, Taifa-1 has an optical camera that can capture images in five multispectral bands and a panchromatic band, with a ground sampling distance of 32 and 16 metres, respectively. These images are combined to create higher-quality pan-sharpened images. Furthermore, the satellite bus comprises other subsystems, such as electrical power, communication, structures and mechanisms, onboard computing, attitude determination and control, and thermal control, necessary for the payload to function optimally and achieve mission objectives. In addition, both the payload and the satellite bus have onboard mass storage systems that temporarily store images before they are downloaded from the ground station.
In addition, the ground segment comprises a ground station operating on UHF/S/X Band frequencies and all the necessary equipment for tracking and wireless communication with the Taifa-1 space segment. It is the main access point for mission operators to communicate with the satellite.
DE Africa Secures Additional Three Years Funding to Provide EO Data for Growth in Africa
In a press release on 28 March 2023 by Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa), the organisation secured three years of additional funding from the Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust. The grant will advance DE Africa’s objectives to continuously provide free and accessible Earth Observation (EO) data to Africa till 2026 and beyond.
The Managing Director of DE Africa, Dr Thembi Xaba, confirmed that the next stage of funding and investment, expected to begin in mid-2023, will significantly aid DE Africa in establishing its operations in Africa, advancing in-country interactions, and accelerating substantial community exchange.
“With support like this from our funding partners, the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, DE Africa is on track to improve the lives of African people by providing planners and policymakers with tailored Earth Observation information to support better decision making and enhance sustainable development outcomes,” Dr Thembi Xaba commented.
In collaboration with Amazon Web Services Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative, DE Africa has accumulated over 3.5 Petabytes of data at the AWS Africa (Cape Town) region to ensure a reliable and secure platform for users.
“Our platform and services enable African governments, industry and decision-makers to track changes across the continent in unprecedented detail, providing valuable insights for better decision-making across many areas, including flooding, drought, soil and coastal erosion, agriculture, forest cover, land use and land cover change, and water availability and quality. We are excited about this next phase of the program and are continually grateful for the support of our funding partners, particularly the Helmsley Charitable Trust. In addition, this will allow the program to continue strengthening and empowering users across the continent to harness the power of Earth observation data and services for better decision-making.“ Dr Thembi Xaba stated.
Furthermore, the inauguration of DE Africa in 2019 has been marked by various partnerships and collaborative efforts with national, regional, and international institutions and relevant stakeholders to promote socio-economic growth across the continent. In addition, DE Africa supplies open-source data and products to end-users to support decision-making processes across African multi-sectoral industries.
ASAL Celebrates the 6th Anniversary of the AlSat-2B
The Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) celebrates the sixth anniversary of the launch of the Algerian high-resolution Earth observation satellite (AlSat-2B). Today, September 26, 2022, marks the sixth year that the AlSat-2B was put into orbit by the Indian launcher PSLV-C35 with a design lifespan of five years.
As was the case for ALSAT-2A, the prospects for AlSat-2B already look promising as it continues to operate satisfactorily after six years in orbit behind its twin ALSAT-2A, which continues its adventure for more than 12 years in orbit. Since its launch on 26 September 2016, ALSAT-2B has provided more than 114,800 panchromatic (2.5 m) and multispectral (10 m) images. In addition, 50% of these satellite imageries were intended to help with national concerns, while nearly 20% were designed for the continent's sustainable development.
Owing to the optimal use of its resources, AlSat-2B has been helping to reinforce Algeria’s capacity and autonomy in high-resolution satellite imagery needed to offer seamless data for decision-making at a reduced response time.
A strategy has been implemented by the CDS (Centre of Satellites Development) engineers for the evolution of the local time of passage of the satellite. As a result, after six years in orbit, the satellite's local time is at 09:37, which is optimal for the lighting conditions in the areas covered.
To this end, a new orbit correction campaign for the AlSat-2B satellite is being prepared for execution in October 2022 to correct the inclination of the satellite by ~0.1 degrees. This correction will make it possible to maintain the evolution of the satellite's local time above 09:30 at least until 2030, with the option to extend beyond this set time frame.
At the end of these campaign manoeuvres, the remaining fuel will be sufficient to ensure the continuity of the satellite's mission, ensure orbit corrections on the semi-major axis (avoidance manoeuvres, eccentricity), and its deorbiting at the end of its mission life.
Zimbabwe’s ZimSat-1 Launch Moved to October 2022
Zimbabwe is ready to launch its first satellite, ZimSat-1, into orbit next month after developing it through the BIRDS project. The satellite initially scheduled for launch in July 2022, is now provisionally scheduled to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on October 28, 2022, before being launched from the Japanese Kibo module. The launch is a milestone that will enhance mineral exploration and monitoring of environmental hazards and droughts. Additionally, it will aid in mapping human settlements and disease outbreaks, among other capabilities.
ZimSat-1 will be on board the Northrop Grumman (NG-18 Cygnus), a robotic resupply spacecraft that provides commercial cargo resupply services to the ISS on behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The satellite is a 1U educational and amateur radio mission CubeSat manufactured by the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan. Many experts consider the programme the first baby steps of the country’s fledgling space programme.
Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) coordinator, Mr Painos Gweme, told The Sunday Mail that the satellite is scheduled to launch on October 28, 2022, after being put on hold because of adverse weather conditions. He noted that the schedule remains subject to auspicious weather conditions in space and other technical considerations.
Mr Gweme also remarked that ZINGSA also heightened its participation in space forums. He said this was to enhance the country’s preparedness for the programme. Regarding the importance of Zimbabwe’s space programme, Mr Gweme said, “Space science and technology present cheap, vibrant and more efficient methods which are superior to traditional ones in solving problems”. “Therefore, as a country, we had to adopt space science technologies to solve our national problems appropriately and, as such, the deployment of these technologies was long overdue.”