Senegal launches first satellite

Senegal’s first satellite has been successfully launched into orbit, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has said.

He added the move marked a major step towards the West African country’s “technological sovereignty”.

The GAINDESAT-1A satellite was launched at 18:56 GMT Friday from the Vandenberg base in California, Faye wrote in a post on X late Friday.

“The result of five years of hard work by our engineers and technicians, this advance marks a major step towards our technological sovereignty,” Faye said.

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“I would like to express my pride and gratitude to all those who made this project possible,” he added.

Senegal’s public broadcaster RTS said the satellite was designed and manufactured by Senegalese engineers, in partnership with the French Montpellier University Space Centre (CSUM).

The broadcaster said a Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg base and launched a number of satellites, including the GAINDESAT-1A, into orbit.

RTS said the satellite will collect data for various state agencies including the Directorate for Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE) and the National Civil Aviation and Meteorology Agency.