The recognition that space activities, services and products play a central role in the sustainable social and economic development of states has led to a clear increase in the number of space actors, including developing countries, wishing to take advantage of space to address their needs and perform their public tasks. African countries are also taking part in this “second race to space” and several states in the African continent have already taken or are taking their first steps in outer space.
On January 2016, the African Union heads of state and government approved the African Space Policy and African Space Strategy, two documents that set the goals of the whole continent for outer space.
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The space policy aims to create a regulatory environment that promotes and supports an African agenda and also ensures that Africa is a responsible user of outer space.
The space strategy establishes a set of strategic measures such as the promotion of programs and projects that foster intra-continental partnerships and the sharing of space experience, as well as the development of a strong space industry in Africa that responds to the needs of the continent. In addition, the strategy intends to pursue a common regulatory framework for the continent and adopt a collaborative plan on the allocation and use of frequencies.
The strategy sets one, five and 10 year outcomes, many of them highly ambitious, such as that, after the 10 year period, the continent should have a constellation of satellites designed and manufactured in Africa providing independent Earth observation satellite data to all African countries.
The success of the continental approach to outer space is very much dependent on a set of factors that the African Union needs to take into careful consideration. It is important to guarantee that all African countries are aware of, and able to contribute to and benefit from, space activities.
The African Space Policy and Strategy are striking steps in the development of space activities and technology in Africa, but their success requires a strong commitment to answering the needs of the countries and in getting them involved. Still, whatever the future may bring, one thing is for sure: Africa is definitively on its pathway to space. VS
