From History to Tomorrow: Space Programs in Africa

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-1111.vid When the question of space in Africa arises (which is infrequent), typically one of two responses is engendered: either "What space programs?" or, even worse, "What space program?" In fact, Africa is a continent of 1.5 billion people living in 54 unique and highly varied countries, each with its own history and aspirations. It is a continent with a vibrant $7 billion space economy. Nine nations in Africa have placed satellites on orbit, and 14 nations have specific, stand-alone space agencies. The old problems of poverty and violence that plagued African nations are being controlled, and jointly and severally African nations are poised for a very active decade of the 2020s. Africa is blessed by having a collection of highly differing space agencies with detailed plans for the coming decade. Each individual history provides examples of success and failure to be followed and avoided respectively by current and soon to be established space programs. The African Union, a pan-African organization consisting of and serving all the nation-states on the continent, has identified 15 priorities, known as Flagship Projects, for accomplishment. Space activities is one of its 15 priorities, and the Union has established an all-Africa space agency to support existing programs and to help build new ones. Finally, in moving forward, African nations need not "reinvent the wheel." There are multiple successful, long-established and highly varied programs external to the continent (e.g., India, China, Russia, ESA, and the United States) with approaches that can be emulated where appropriate and with whom cooperative operations may be conducted as African space programs move to maturity. Truly, explosive growth is the only term that can be applied to Africa's space future. This paper provides an introductory look at space programs in Africa, discusses some of the accomplishments already achieved, and identifies paths of growth and development that lie ahead.