Africa’s space ambitions are moving from policy to practice

What the report says

Africa’s space sector is increasingly focused on practical applications rather than only policy, according to Al Jazeera’s report on the Africa Space Expo (ASPEX), which closed in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, last week. The event brought together start-ups, research groups and investors around uses such as food security, climate resilience, territorial monitoring, connectivity and maritime security. It also produced notable diplomatic steps: Ivory Coast signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the 75th signatory, and Angola signed a letter of intent on space cooperation with the United Arab Emirates.

The article uses Ghana as an example of both progress and remaining gaps. Ghana’s space and science efforts date back to the early independence period, but its more recent push includes the approval of a National Space Policy in 2022, its launch in 2024, and the 2025 approval to establish a Ghana Space Agency. The Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI), which grew out of earlier national science institutions, has worked on radio astronomy, agriculture monitoring, forest-loss tracking and coastal-erosion modeling with partners in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Private companies are also trying to build local capacity. Galaxy Aerospace Ghana has launched a high-altitude balloon, developed mini-rockets and trained young people, while seeking investors for a ground station and geospatial intelligence platform. Other Ghanaian voices in the report argued that Africa needs stronger public investment, laboratories, manufacturing hubs and education in space science if the continent is to move from using imported technology to designing and building more of its own.