Every year Africa is growth fast and fast in this space industry, Some of these leaders include Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, who is the president of the African Space Council. This is why Ouattara who was born and raised in Ivory Coast and inspired by stargazing dreams for Africa to launch into space. Having a PhD in remote sensing and geographical information systems in Canada he returned to Africa to head the space strategy.
January 10, 2023 marked the official inauguration of the AfSA headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. The agency is expected to further accelerate the continent’s space business which is anticipated to reach $22. 6 billion by 2026. Africa presently has about 60 satellites in space and the collected information is useful in enhancing crop production, in assessment of water quality, and in combating and discouraging, including but not limited to mining and fishing.
Satellites also aid in the provision of communication network across the entire continent. Thus, for instance, in Ghana, the use of satellite data for the elaboration of weather forecasts has greatly decreased the number of canoeing fatalities among fishermen. It supports the environmental management by aiding in the identification of the occurrence of oil slickage hence reducing the extent of pollution in Egypt.
Nevertheless, the advanced progress of Europe and Asia are comparatively tender, Africa still has problems that cant be solved, for example, lack of funds for development, demands on infrastructure. To deal with these challenges the AfSA aims at developing the regulatory framework for space, harmonizing space activities, and encouraging the international cooperation. The development of the qualified human capital in the space-related spheres remains the focus of the training activity.
Ouattara reveals that unlike other space programs, that of African countries is geared toward bettering people’s lives on Earth. With the help of space technology, Africa plans to solve realistic issues and advance the progress in the continent rapidly. The AfSA endeavours to contribute to the incorporation of African countries in different aspects in the space sector from manufacturing the satellites used to developing the products derived from space information, hence putting Africa at the forefront of space industry.