Senegal has successfully launched its first satellite into orbit, a milestone hailed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye as a significant step towards the country’s “technological sovereignty”. The GAINDESAT-1A satellite was launched at 18:56 GMT on Friday from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to a post from President Faye on X (formerly Twitter).
“The result of five years of hard work by our engineers and technicians, this advance marks a major step towards our technological sovereignty,” Faye remarked. He also expressed pride and gratitude to all those involved in the project.
Senegal’s national broadcaster, RTS, reported that the satellite was both designed and developed by Senegalese engineers, working in collaboration with the French Montpellier University Space Centre (CSUM). The launch took place aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, which successfully deployed several satellites, including Senegal’s GAINDESAT-1A.
The satellite will serve various state agencies, including the Directorate for Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE) and the National Civil Aviation and Meteorology Agency, by gathering crucial data to support their operations.