Safeguarding Africa’s Space Future: Defense, Security, and Sustainability

As African nations expand their presence in space, the security and sustainability of space infrastructure are paramount, especially with space actors becoming more open to pace threats such as electronic warfare, space debris, robotic arms, and cyber attacks. Space has become economically and strategically important, prompting further development of counter-space capabilities by multiple nations. Left unchecked, the increase in space assets and the proliferation of counter-space technologies could endanger both the safety and security of outer space.

This panel will explore the intersection of policy development and practical implementation to safeguard space assets, ensuring they contribute effectively to the continent’s socio-economic growth. The discussion will also suggest strategies for space threat response mechanisms, access to space domain awareness information, partnering for responsible space behaviours, ensuring synergies and cross-fertilisation, notably in research and development, and proposing concrete measures to foster collaborative work between space and defence start-ups and to enhance skills.