Egypt has successfully localized satellite technology, with around 60% of its nanosatellites and 40% of its microsatellites produced domestically.
CEOs of most MENA space agencies have been quite elusive. So, it was a real coup to secure an exclusive interview with the Egyptian Space Agencys (EgSA) CEO, Dr. Sherif Sedky, for this edition. Egypt, in particular, has emerged as a formidable leader in recent years, setting the stage for a new era in space exploration and technology. Dr. Sedky has been instrumental in steering the nations ambitious space agenda. His role in pushing forward Egypts space initiatives has positioned the country as a major player on both the regional and global stage.
For the less initiated, EgSA is located in Egyptian Space City, an impressive 123 acres of land that also serves as the HQ for the African Space Agency. Thats not a coincidence. Egypt has been working closely with the team on the African Development Satellite, a project undertaken in collaboration with Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria and South Sudan. The interesting part is that the satellite will be designed, assembled and tested in Egyptian Space City.
Dr. Sedky claims Egypt has successfully localised a significant portion of satellite technology, with almost 60% of its nanosatellites and 40% of its microsatellites being built on home ground.
EgSA is involved in multiple missions at this time such as a partnership with UNOOSA and Airbus, the SPINX initiative, and recent missions like NexSat 1 and MisrSat 2.
Equally determined to make a mark is Saudi Arabia. The Kingdoms launches are intended to accelerate its space initiatives and catch up with the rest of its Arab counterparts. To that effect, you will find several stories in our news section from Saudi Arabia, along with a special interview with the CEO of Neo Space Group, an entity launched as recently as this May in the Kingdom.
Alongside this, we have explored a case study in Angola, an audience measurement tool for satellites, and a whole new emerging market for reusable rockets. As the IBC edition, this issue is packed with interesting stories that will keep you well informed. Happy reading
