African countries can develop their space programs through cooperation with Russia

Last week, Ethiopia’s Deputy Minister of Innovation and Technology, Yeshurun Alemayehu, revealed that his country wants to take part in the unmanned space mission to the moon scheduled for 2028, as well as in the International Lunar Station project with Russia.

He said this desire to cooperate with Russia in the space sector was meant to boost the continent’s homegrown technical capacity and “institutional building.”

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos told Sputnik Africa that African countries can develop and modernize their space programs through cooperation with Russia

as such programs require access to advanced technologies and expertise, the agency. More importantly, this progress “will contribute to the socio-economic development and well-being of people not only in particular countries, but also throughout the interconnected African region,” the organization noted.

e world is becoming increasingly multipolar, and African countries are seeking to diversify their international relations, it added. Moscow, for its part, shows openness and respect for its partners. In this way, cooperation can be mutually beneficial. Cooperation in the space sector can strengthen the strategic and economic partnership between African countries and Russia, creating new opportunities for commercial exchange, according to Roscosmos.

Roscosmos is interested in promoting common interests with African countries. is has become possible as a result of the points of contact that are promising for joint work, the agency stressed.

According to Roscosmos, some African countries already have well-established national space agencies, while others are considering the possibility of creating them.

“e creation of ground-based space infrastructure in such an important area as remote sensing of the Earth could be the starting point for the development of the space program of any African state,” the agency said. Remote sensing and climate monitoring are becoming increasingly important as the continent faces the challenges of climate change. Russian technologies in this area make it possible to obtain reliable information in the field of agriculture and mineral exploration, Roscosmos emphasized.