African Space Agency is now operational
Africa achieved a historic breakthrough in its space ambitions on April 20, 2025, with the formal launch of the African Space Agency (AfSA) at its new permanent headquarters in Cairo’s Space City, Egypt. This milestone event concludes nearly ten years of careful planning and collaboration, which began in January 2016 when the African Union Assembly endorsed the African Space Policy and Strategy at its Twenty-Sixth Ordinary Session, creating the foundation for a continent-wide space initiative.
The official ceremony brought together a prestigious group of participants, including senior officials from the African Union Commission, delegates from African nations and space institutions, ambassadors from across Africa and beyond, members of the AfSA Council, and prominent representatives from the international space community. Their attendance emphasized both the pan-African significance and the global interest in this development.
UNOOSA’s welcomes collaboration with the African Space Agency
The inauguration was attended by high-level representatives from the African Union Commission, the Egyptian and Angolan governments, and key African ministries. It also drew senior leadership from major international space agencies, including the European Space Agency, NASA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), France’s National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), the UAE Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency, and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). African space leadership was strongly represented through the African Space Council, national space agencies, and leading figures from academic and research institutions across the continent and beyond.
UNOOSA’s Deputy Director, Dr. Driss El-Hadani, underscored the Office’s commitment to ensuring that space benefits are accessible to all countries, particularly through initiatives like “Space for All” and UN-SPIDER. He emphasized UNOOSA’s readiness to collaborate with AfSA in crucial areas, including capacity development, assistance in shaping a legal framework for African space activities, promoting Earth observation for sustainable environmental management, and strengthening African engagement in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
The inauguration took place just prior to the NewSpace Africa conference, from 21st – 24th April, which brought together space agencies and space companies from around the world to highlight innovations in space and their potential to strengthen Africa’s economy.
Learn more about the inauguration event here: African Space Agency Now Operational - Space in Africa
