AU rejects Ghana's candidacy for African Space Center

The African Union (AU) rejected Ghana's bid to host the African Space Center.

Ms Sarah Agbor, a member of the Commission on Human Resources in Science and Technology (HRST), explained that the nomination was sent out very late, leaving the AU no room to reject it. .

During a briefing at the AU headquarters, she m said "The deadline for the offer was October 30, 2018 and Ghana arrived in November so automatically, without even looking at the documents, you [Ghana] have not been taken into account. "

Ethiopia, Egypt, Namibia and Nigeria bid, but Namibia pulled out of the race afterwards.

Commissioner HRST said that Egypt, Nigeria and Ethiopia had been selected by an independent high-level panel as the host country of the space center.

She said that one of them would soon be announced as the winner of the offer.

In April 2018, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of the Environment, Science and Technology, indicated that Ghana wanted to host the space agency and notified that Ghana would make an offer.

Photo of the file: The Kennedy Space Center in the United States.

African Space Policy

African Space Policy and Strategy has been adopted by AU Heads of State and Government to contribute to the realization of its vision of an integrated, prosperous and diverse continent. peaceful, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force on the world stage.

Policy and strategy is also in response to the aspirations stipulated in Agenda 2063.

Space science has been described as a vital global commodity in our daily lives, including our health, safety, education, agriculture, communications and migration, among many other needs.

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (GMES and Africa) is an operational program common to both the European Union and the European Union, designed to contribute to the implementation of African space policy and strategy.

Commissioner HRST said GMES and Africa is providing grants to regional and national institutions throughout Africa to address water and natural resource issues, marine and coastal areas, as well as environmental issues, climate change and security issues civil society, among other thematic areas

The agency is in line with the AU's plan to leverage space technologies for Africa.

The strategy was the first step towards the realization of an African program of outer space in line with the AU Plan of Action for Development 2063.

GhanaSat-1

Ghana hoped to participate in the successful launch of a satellite, GhanaSat-1, by students from All Nations University College in June 2017.

The satellite was handed over to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Frimpong Boateng said the students had boosted the government's confidence in the eventual organization of the African Union Space Agency.

GhanaSat-1 was developed with the support of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and was integrated with low and high resolution cameras to take pictures of Ghana and provide data that can be used to monitor the country's coastal areas.

The project aimed to stimulate interest in teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in high schools and higher education institutions.