US-Angolan space diplomacy hits new heights

Logo of Angola’s Space Agency (Portuguese acronym GGPEN)

As US President Joe Biden gears up for his upcoming visit to Angola, Luanda is focused on outer space in its quest for sustainable development, writes Scott Firsing.

Angola, the resource rich nation on the southwestern coast of Africa, is working hard to usher in a renaissance. A robust 4.1 per cent GDP growth during the first quarter of 2024 thanks to higher oil prices is a welcome sign. However, under the leadership of President João Lourenço, Angola has been actively courting international investors and partners to both diversify its economic base and enhance its global footprint.

This strategic outreach has significantly warmed US-Angolan relations, culminating in the much-anticipated visit from President Joe Biden in early December. This visit underscores a broader narrative of Angola’s ambitions on the world stage, particularly through the lens of its space programme.

Angola’s space agency, officially known as the National Space Program Management Office (Portuguese acronym GGPEN) was founded in 2010. It has made serious strides over recent years, reflecting the nation’s leap towards technological advancement for economic prosperity.

The partnership between the United States and Angola in the realm of space saw significant advancements in November 2023. Angola signed the Artemis Accords on best practice for space exploration, facilitated by NASA and the US State Department. The topic of space was discussed during an official meeting ofPresidents Biden and Lourenço at the White House at the same time. The 2024 New Space Africa Conference held in Luanda with notable U.S. involvement, along with regular defence dialogues and visits between the two nations, has further underscored a commitment to deepen international space cooperation. This collaboration extends to various security aspects like maritime safety, cyber defence, and enhancing capabilities.

The birth and evolution of GGPEN

Much of this Angolan space growth was unfathomable just 15 years ago, and it was Russia that played a significant role in bringing Angola’s space ambitions to life.

Angola’s space journey truly began in 2009 when Luanda and Moscow signed an agreement for Russia to help build and place in orbit Angola’s first satellite, branded ANGOSAT, to improve its telecommunications system.

Like many African space agencies, capital outlay and human capacity are key issues for Angola.

ANGOSAT-1 was financed by Russia’s Rosoboronexport with a £239 million loan. ANGOSAT-2 represented another collaborative effort between Russia and Angola, featuring financial support from Russian sources and the involvement of the Russian aerospace firm RSC Energia. This initiative also included the joint efforts of engineers and scientists from both Angola and Russia. This led to ANGOSAT-2’s launch on 12 October 2022 from Kazakhstan. Today this satellite is a key part of both Angola’s National Maritime Coordination and Surveillance Centre and Angola’s first satellite Mission Control Centre (MCC), both of which were inaugurated by President Lourenço in January 2024. In September 2024, President Lourenço approved the financing of £188 million for a third Angolan satellite. ANGOSAT-3, or ANGEO-1 as it has also been referred to, is being financed by the French Export Credit Agency, Bpifrance AE, in the form of an export credit and a commercial loan from the French financial institution Société Générale. The satellite will be the first very high performance Angolan Earth observation satellite to be manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space in France. It will support strategic areas for Angola such as agriculture and combating drought along with other development challenges.

Angola’s space agency GGPEN is led by Director General Dr Zolana João who, like his country, is no stranger to challenges. Joao helped build the Angolan space agency along with designing the current Angolan Space Strategy. Moreover, his personal diplomacy has been instrumental in Angola’s space relations, having studied around the world from Tshwane, South Africa and France to completing his doctorate at George Washington University in the US. For his work in Angolan space initiatives and space diplomacy, Joao visited the White House and spoke at the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit 2022. The same year, João also received the “Space without Borders” medal from Russia’s Roscosmos for the excellent work he and his team completed on ANGOSAT-2. 

There’s an interest from the US in helping Angola and other African nations build capacity in space technology, not just for communication but also for applications in agriculture, environmental monitoring, and disaster management. Angola welcomes this with their Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Social Communication, Mário Oliveira announcing in April 2024 that Angola is “committed to working with everyone to develop our national space program.”

Besides Russia and the US, Angola has agreements with other countries including their former colonial power Portugal. The two countries signed an MoU in June 2023 agreeing to promote, similarly to what the Portuguese Space Agency had has with Brazil, the implementation of an agenda on space technologies in the scope of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries.

Angola’s exciting space future

Angola’s advancements in the space sector are significant because it is a smart diplomatic and economic strategy. Although space assists in Angola’s strongest economic areas like oil and mining, space also highlights the country’s efforts toward economic diversification. It has the potential to invigorate other sectors such as defence, education and telecommunications. Furthermore, it positions Angola for enhanced recognition both within Africa via the Southern African Development Community and the African Union, and on the global stage via institutions like the United Nations. This is particularly true as Luanda expands partnerships with space-faring nations like Russia and the United States, as well as with companies such as Airbus. There is a prestige element to this, but there are also more tangible benefits.

While Angola’s space program is still in its early stages, it is quickly evolving. The program is set to broaden its scope to focus on satellite technology and protecting those assets, bolstering educational efforts in space science, fostering international partnerships, and integrating space initiatives with the country’s development objectives. Yet, the realisation of these goals will depend on obtaining financial resources, resolving technical difficulties, and developing local expertise in space technology.

Here lies a real potential for US-Angolan relations. One is the capacity building element where US institutions and companies can assist with the training of Angolan engineers and other crucial personnel needed for future projects. There is also a real opportunity exists for US commercial space companies and joint space infrastructure, which can uplift Africa’s technological landscape while providing new markets for American businesses in Angola and across the entire African continent.

President Biden’s visit marks a pivotal moment in the US-Angolan bilateral relationship. Given the importance of this high-profile diplomatic engagement, we can anticipate significant announcements during the President’s time in Angola, ones that could elevate US-Angolan space relations to new heights.

Originally published by the London School of Economics and Political Science on 02 December 2024: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2024/12/02/angolan-space-diplomacy-hits-new-heights-with-bidens-historic-visit/