In a historic milestone for the continent, the African Space Agency (AfSA) was officially inaugurated on Sunday, April 20, 2025, during the NewSpace Africa Conference. The ceremony brought together ministers, ambassadors, and dignitaries from around the world, reaffirming Africa’s rising stature in global space exploration.
Dr. Valanathan Munsami, former CEO of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and Chair of the African Union Space Working Group, delivered a powerful speech underscoring Africa’s opportunity to lead through unity, innovation, and sustainable development. He also traced the origins of the African Space Policy and Strategy, setting the stage for AfSA’s historic journey.
The event featured goodwill messages from top executives of leading space organizations, including Marco Ferrazzani of the European Space Agency (ESA); Karen Feldstein of NASA; Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi of the UAE Space Agency; Jean-Marc Astorg of CNES (France); KIKUCHI Koichi of JAXA (Japan); Dr. Driss El-Hadani of UNOOSA; and Luca Maria Salamone of the Italian Space Agency. Their messages reaffirmed strong international support for Africa’s space ambitions.
Heads of national space agencies from Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, and Egypt, representing Central, East, West, Southern, and Northern Africa, respectively, also spoke, highlighting the continent’s regional collaboration towards a shared space future.
One of the event’s major highlights was the unveiling of the African Space Agency’s official logo and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between AfSA and the European Space Agency. As a symbol of solidarity, ESA presented AfSA with a flag that had journeyed into space — a gift signifying the start of deeper cooperation.
High-level addresses by H.E. Mário Augusto da Silva Oliveira, Angola’s Minister of Telecommunications; Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; and H.E. Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission, emphasized the political will backing Africa’s space aspirations.
H.E. Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, President of the African Space Council, delivered the welcome address, while H.E. Ayman Ashour, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, representing Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, delivered the keynote. Ashour underlined the strategic importance of space for Africa’s future development and celebrated Egypt’s hosting of AfSA.
The ceremony concluded with a symbolic ribbon-cutting, led by Dr. Temidayo Oniosun, Managing Director of Space in Africa, officially opening the new African Space Agency headquarters.
The inauguration cements Africa’s determination to achieve space sovereignty and signals a new chapter in the continent’s scientific, technological, and innovation landscape.
