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On April 24, 1970, China became the fifth nation to independently launch a satellite into orbit. Dong Fang Hong I was the first of a series of satellites China launched under the Dong Fang Hong space satellite program. It lifted off on a Long March I rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The name […]

During the NewSpace Africa Conference 2025, the Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation RASCOM and the Egyptian Satellite Company Nilesat formalised a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding MoU and a Marketing Services Agreement. RASCOM Director General Timothy Ashong and Nilesat Chief Commercial Officer Hesham Sallam signed the agreements. The collaboration aims to improve digital connectivity,

The Nigerian Communications Satellite NIGCOMSAT has partnered with Eutelsat, a global leader in satellite communications, to deliver Low Earth Orbit LEO satellite services across Nigeria. The partnership was announced in a statement on Wednesday by the Corporate Affairs office at NIGCOMSAT. This collaboration will leverage OneWeb’s advanced LEO satellite network to provide high speed, low

Botswana’s first satellite, BOTSAT-1, was successfully launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter 13 rideshare mission on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, USA. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off the Space Launch Complex 4E SLC-4E at 06:39 am GMT, carrying 74 satellites. These included BOTSAT-1, 26 satellites as part of the

On April 23, 1962, NASA launched the Ranger 4 mission to the moon. After the first three Ranger missions failed, NASA was really happy with the successful launch of Ranger 4. But the fun didn’t last long. After a picture-perfect launch on an Atlas-Agena rocket, Ranger 4 stopped transmitting telemetry data. Tracking stations picked up

Guinea-Bissau’s National Regulatory Authority for Information and Communication Technologies ARN-TIC has officially approved Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, for operation in the country, marking a significant step towards enhancing digital connectivity. The licensing announcement was made by Bamba Kote, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Telecommunications Regulatory Entity ARN, during the opening

For the fourth consecutive year, the NewSpace Africa Conference NSAC will solidify its position as the premier gathering for African and international space stakeholders. The event will convene government officials, commercial companies, academia, and industry leaders to shape the future of Africa’s space ecosystem and its global partnerships. Organised by Space in Africa in collaboration

On April 22, 2010, the U.S. Air Force launched the super-secret X-37B space plane on its first spaceflight. This space plane is also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle. It looks a lot like NASA’s space shuttle, only it’s much smaller and doesn’t have any windows. But the X-37B doesn’t need windows anyway, because no

The 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference began on its first day with policy and strategy discussions, including the signing of the AU-EU Gateway programme. Panel sessions examined the adoption and impact of space technologies across government agencies, commercial firms, and academic institutions. On the second day, the conference continued with high-level keynote speeches, interactive sessions, and

During the second day of the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference, John P. Janka, Chief Officer of Global Government Affairs at Viasat, delivered a stark warning Unchecked mega constellations pose a real and present danger to Africa’s space driven growth, innovation, and security ambitions. His presentation, A Real and Present Danger to Growth, Innovation, Security &