A large screen in the Tunisian capital Tunis shows the launch of Russia's Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
-
Copyright © africanews
FETHI BELAID/AFP or licensors
By Africanews and AFP
Tunisia
It's a small step for aerospace but a big step for Tunisia as it launches its the first satellite manufactured locally.
The satellite, called Challenge one , is intended for the Internet connectivity, was launched into space Monday.
Tunisia is the first country in the Maghreb to manufacture its own satellite, and the sixth on the African continent.
The small satellite will be launched by a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
Tunisia says it hopes to launch 20 more in the next 3 years.
The African space market is now worth over $7 billion annually, according to the website Space in Africa, which reports that it ”is likely to grow over 40 percent in the next five years”.
01:46
Migrants in Tunisia ask for safe passage to Europe amid increasing anti-migration policies
01:35
Mobile networks attracting more smartphone users as Ghana tries to close digital gap
01:55
Al Ahly and Esperance Tunis prepared for CAF Champions League final
01:51
China's Xi reaffirms strong partnership with Russia in talks with Putin
01:38
Russian foreign minister discusses bilateral relations with Sierra Leone counterpart
01:15
Russian trainers, US troops housed in same base in Niger