• President João Lourenço announced the creation of the Angolan Space Agency to manage national space activities.
• The agency will oversee projects including the Angosat-2 telecommunications satellite and the upcoming Angeo-1 Earth observation satellite, built by Airbus for €225 million ($263.6 million).
• The initiative aims to make Angola a producer of space technologies, not just a user, as part of its National Space Program.

Angolan President João Lourenço announced on October 15, 2025, during his State of the Nation address, the creation of the Angolan Space Agency to coordinate and manage the country’s expanding space initiatives.

The new agency will succeed the Cabinet for the Management of the National Space Program (GGPEN), which currently oversees the implementation of the National Space Program.

Lourenço said the move aims to transform Angola “from a mere user of space services, products, and technologies into a producer and operator,” ensuring the nation’s technological independence in the space sector.

Angola already operates the Angosat-2 telecommunications satellite, launched in January 2023, which supports the Conecta Angola project. The program provides connectivity to remote areas across 13 provinces.

In an interview with Jornal de Angola in April 2025, ICT Minister Mário Oliveira said the government plans to expand beyond Angosat-2 with a national Earth observation program for environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, natural resource management, and disaster prevention.

The government has contracted Airbus to build Angeo-1, Angola’s first Earth observation satellite, at a cost of €225 million ($263.6 million).

Oliveira added that Angola is developing a space studies center, a legal framework for the new agency, and training programs for national experts. These actions are part of the ICT White Paper 2023–2027, which also outlines infrastructure development in communication, navigation, and meteorology.

Angola’s efforts reflect a broader African interest in space investment. According to Space in Africa, African nations collectively allocated $465.34 million to space programs in 2024. The continent’s space economy, valued at $22.6 billion that year, is expected to grow substantially by 2026, driven by satellite manufacturing, infrastructure expansion, and NewSpace ventures.

While the government has yet to announce a timeline for the new agency’s launch, GGPEN said in an October 15 statement that it is conducting experience-sharing initiatives with leading international space agencies to design the agency’s legal and operational frameworks.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi 

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum