Tanzania is making giant strides towards space exploration with plans to establish the country’s first-ever Space Agency in the 2024/2025 fiscal year.
The development was revealed by the Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Nape Nnauye.
The government plans to implement space programs that promote satellite technology, enhancing communication and various other services, THE CITIZEN reported.
“The other services include defence and security, research, disaster management and weather forecasting in the country,” he told the national assembly.
The country has been advancing its space programs, including securing an orbital position of 16W for broadcasting satellites and acquiring new frequencies to enhance the safety of air and maritime communications.
On May 19, 2023, President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced that Tanzania plans to build its satellite and that negotiations to achieve this scientific milestone have already begun.
“We are well prepared. We have started discussions, and rest assured that Tanzania will have its satellite in the near future,” she said. Should the plan materialise, Tanzania will join the list of other East African countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Should the plan materialize, Tanzania will join the list of other East African countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, in advancing space technology.
As of the end of 2022, the continent had successfully launched at least 52 satellites, according to the consulting firm Space Hubs Africa.
The continent even has an ambitious plan to more than triple the number of satellites sent into the Earth’s orbit over the next few years.
According to the Africa Space Industry Annual Report, 125 new satellites have been lined up for development in 23 African countries by 2025, as activities in the continent’s space market heat up significantly.
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