Senegal has achieved a historic milestone with the successful launch of its first satellite, GAINDESAT-1A, from California on Friday evening. This achievement places Senegal among just 12 African nations with their own surveillance and telecommunications satellites in space, marking a significant advancement in the country’s technological capabilities.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye hailed the launch as a major step towards Senegal’s “technological sovereignty.” In a post on X, he expressed pride and gratitude to all those involved in making the project a reality.
Maram Kaïré, the director of Senegal’s space agency, emphasized the importance of this achievement, calling it “an important step and a historic day in our country’s progress and determination to become a space-faring nation.”
The nanosatellite, GAINDESAT-1A, was developed by Senegalese engineers in collaboration with France’s Montpellier University Space Centre. It was launched into orbit alongside 115 other satellites from the Vandenberg base in California using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The satellite will play a crucial role in collecting data for various state agencies, including those involved in water resources management, civil aviation, and meteorology, further enhancing Senegal’s ability to manage and protect its resources.