On 22 March 2021, Tunisia kicked things off by launching its very first satellite: Challenge One, an Internet of Things satellite that was designed and built entirely by TelNet, a national company. But it was not the only African satellite onboard the Soyuz-2 rocket that took off that day from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Simba, a nanosatellite jointly designed by three universities – Israeli, Italian and Kenyan – also took to space. The ‘CubeSat’ – this type of nanosatellite’s nickname – will be entirely dedicated to observing wildlife within Kenya’s natural parks, thanks to special sensors that will be placed on certain animals. It will be able to transmit data on the movements and migratory patterns of protected species.
And in Mauritius, MirSat 1 – a satellite that was also designed locally – was launched on 3 June.
A sovereignty issue
No African country has the capacity to
There's more to this story
Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.
cancel anytime
Already a a subscriber Sign In
