Africa could become the next frontier for space programs

As the United States and China compete for dominance in outer space, Africa is also looking to get in on the race toward the stars. China aims to enhance its cooperation with Africa by constructing new alliances for its space development, while many in the United States are pushing the Trump administration to shore up its own space alliances in Africa. All the while, the continent is moving ahead with its own space program.

How are the US and China intertwined with African space development?

China has been seeking to broaden its African footprint and has recently been “building space alliances in Africa to enhance its global surveillance network and advance its bid to become the world’s dominant space power,” said Reuters. Not all of this development is done in secret, as China has “publicly announced much of this space assistance to African countries.”

China also has “access to data and images collected from this space technology, and Chinese personnel maintain a long-term presence in facilities it builds in Africa,” said Reuters. This includes a new satellite lab in Egypt where Chinese officials can “scan space-tracking monitors and deliver instructions to Egyptian engineers.”

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As China expands its influence, there have been calls for the White House to get ahead of the game, given that Africa's space sector “presents significant opportunities for the United States,” said the international affairs think tank Atlantic Council. The U.S. “will need to take a collaborative approach: In order to harness the opportunities of the African space sector, the United States must also fill the gaps in its space coordination with Africa.”

This could be easier said than done. Trump is “unlikely to prioritize forging bilateral space relationships in the way Beijing has done in Africa,” said Reuters. This also comes as the U.S. “scales back aid to developing countries, creating an opportunity for China to position itself as Africa’s key ally in space development,” said Business Insider Africa.

How is Africa developing its own space program?

Africa is working to cement its own status in space. In May 2025, it “established the continent’s first space agency to boost Earth observation and data sharing,” said Bloomberg. This came at a time when a “more hostile global context is limiting the availability of climate and weather information.”

The African Space Agency (AfSA) will help the existing space programs of African countries collaborate. It also “aims to improve the continent’s space infrastructure by launching satellites, setting up weather stations and making sure data can be shared across Africa and beyond,” said Bloomberg.

Prior African space initiatives were “happening in a very fragmented fashion,” Meshack Kinyua, a space engineer and an Africa space policy veteran, told Bloomberg. AfSA “brings a coordination mechanism and economies of scale — it puts all members of the African Union at an equal level.”

AfSA “represents a giant leap into the global space arena” for Africa, said Space.com. It is a clear signal that Africa has a “commitment to space exploration and technological advancement.” Other multinational space organizations, including the European Space Agency (ESA), also lauded the group. The “establishment of the African Space Agency is a real milestone for the continent and signals an important advance for Africa’s space strategy,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said in a statement. “Space has the power to spur innovation and inspiration, and I look forward to working together for the benefit of citizens.”