Roscosmos to discuss cooperation with African space enterprises at conference in Angola

MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax) - Representatives of Glavkosmos, part of Russia's Roscosmos corporation, will hold talks with African space enterprises on the sidelines of the NewSpace Africa international conference in Angola, Glavkosmos said on Tuesday.

"The Glavkosmos leadership will present the capacities of the Russian space industry and certain promising space projects at the conference on April 2. Glavkosmos representatives also plan to have a series of meetings with colleagues from foreign space companies representing the African continent on the event's sidelines," it said.

The NewSpace Africa international space conference will be held in Luanda, Angola, on April 2-5. The conference theme is the role of space in poverty reduction in Africa, Glavkosmos said.

"The NewSpace Africa conference will serve as a high-level venue for industry leaders, commercial space companies, investors and other key parties interested in the African space and satellite industry," it said.

Roscosmos said on July 27, 2023, that Russia had invited African countries to the joint development of the Grifon remote sensing system. Its key institute, TsNIIMash, initiated the commercial project of the Grifon information satellite system.

Roscosmos head Yury Borisov said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 30, 2023, that he had discussed the development of satellite clusters and launch services with African space agencies.

On June 25, Borisov and Egyptian Space Agency head Sherif Sedky discussed producing and launching satellites, developing the manned space program, and ground-based space infrastructure.

A Russian-Algerian agreement on peaceful space exploration was signed on June 15, on the sidelines of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's visit to Russia. Borisov and Algerian Ambassador to Russia Smail Benamara signed the document.

Borisov also said he had offered the Algerian and Egyptian space agencies the chance to take part in the construction of the Russian space station, up to the development of national modules.

He said in July 2023 that Roscosmos and equatorial African countries were discussing the provision of launch services, adding it would be premature to consider the possible construction of a cosmodrome in Africa by Roscosmos.

Glavkosmos is a Roscosmos subsidiary and its chief foreign economic operator.