African Space Agency Confirms Launch of First Jointly Owned Satellite in 2027

The African Space Agency has confirmed that the continent’s first jointly owned earth observation satellite will launch in 2027, with 14 African nations contributing to the project.

Director General Meshack Kinyua said the satellite, named Ubuntu-1, would provide data at resolutions ten times finer than currently available from international providers.

The project has a total budget of $380 million, funded through national government contributions, African Development Bank financing and European Space Agency grants.

Launch partners SpaceX and ArianeGroup are competing for the launch contract.