Rocket Africa: the next pathway to space.

Voice of America tracks something we were looking forward to here a while back – the blossoming potential of linking together Africa’s own space programs:

Observers looking at Africa today will see a new reality.

Satellite dishes monitor hundreds of privately owned satellites above Africa in Africa’s largest earth observation center – at the South African National Space Agency.

Managing Director Raoul Hodges said a space agency is a valuable asset — and that Africa has the means to go into space. But he said such a reality is years off and will take serious planning.

“If you combined resources and you combined efforts, such as the Nigerian effort, such as the Egyptian effort, the Algerian effort, and the South African effort specifically,” he explained. “Where we have the infrastructure and prior to 1994, when we were able to integrate satellites, yes, the technical knowledge is there, and the capability is there. Is there funding? Yes, there is funding. There are some rich oil nations in Africa..”

Officials with the African Union said a pan-African space agency can solve some of the continent’s earthly problems.