NAIROBI (Reuters) – East African countries are increasing investments in satellite technology for communications, defence, security, research, disaster management and weather forecasting, while the region is also growing as a launch and testing ground for the industry.
A futuristic solar-powered plane designed to fly above restricted airspace and at altitudes between 60,000 and 80,000 feet above Earth is set to take off in Kenya, joining a growing number of high-altitude and space projects in East Africa.
Aalto, a startup that was spun out of passenger jet giant Airbus in 2023, is building the solar-powered Zephyr HAPS aircraft and has signalled it will soon begin flight tests in Kenya.
The announcement follows the successful launch, test and landing in Arizona in May of the Instrumented Zephyr Test Vehicle (IZTV), a dedicated Zephyr test vehicle equipped with advanced flight controls.
“This milestone marks the start of this year’s comprehensive flying season and the successful completion of testing. Our focus now turns to experimental flights commencing from AALTOPORT, Kenya in the coming months,” the company said on X.
The company has not announced an exact launch date, but the selection of Kenya as the first permanent launch and landing site for its new generation of space gliders highlights the previously under-the-radar East African country’s attractiveness to foreign investors as a regional spaceport.
AALTO said in June that a consortium of large Japanese companies led by Japanese mobile phone operator NTT Docomo and Space Compass had committed to investing $100 million in the company.
The company said the investment paves the way for Zephyr to begin commercial operations in 2026, pending approval from aviation authorities. “This investment comes as AALTO progresses to the next phase of its development.”
This includes launching multiple customer missions over the next year, establishing launch and landing sites for Zephyr, and advancing the certification process.
“We are excited to break new ground in sustainable connectivity and Earth observation from the stratosphere, creating great value for all stakeholders,” said AALTO CEO Samer Halawi.
The company said Kenya was an ideal location as it sits on the equator and provides favourable weather conditions for the aircraft to ascend.
The move comes more than a year after Djibouti signed a $1 billion partnership with Hong Kong Space Science and Technology Corporation to build Africa’s first orbital spaceport.
The $1 billion spaceport project will include construction of port facilities, power grids and highways to ensure reliable transportation of aerospace materials.
A preliminary agreement signed in January 2023 in partnership with Touchroad International Holdings Group paved the way for the definitive contracting and development of the mega-spaceport over a five-year period.
Once completed, the international spaceport will have seven launch pads capable of launching seven satellites simultaneously, as well as three test facilities.
Other East African countries are also making big strides in space or planning to enter the market, with foreign investors at the forefront of these efforts.
In February, the Rwanda Space Agency and the Polish Space Agency signed a memorandum of understanding to foster partnership opportunities.
According to the two agencies, the cooperation aims to leverage Poland’s strong space ecosystem and develop mutually beneficial joint activities.
“The agreement will foster inter-institutional collaboration between industry and academia aimed at enhancing space technology capabilities, facilitating knowledge transfer and advancing customized research and development initiatives,” the two agencies said in a joint statement.
Uganda successfully launched the country’s first satellite, Pearl AfricaSat-1, in November 2022. The satellite was built jointly by three Ugandan engineers and Japan’s Kyushu Institute of Technology as part of the Joint Global Multilateral Bird Satellite Project.
Tanzania has announced plans to establish a space agency in 2024/2025 with the goal of promoting satellite technology for communications, defence, security, research, disaster management and weather forecasting.
Through this project, Tanzania aims to work with East African countries such as Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to develop space technology.
The African Space Industry predicts that 125 new satellites will be developed across 23 African countries by 2025 as part of the continent’s space market activities.
