As part of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit, Airbus Defence and Space has announced an agreement for Angeo-1, the first very high-performance Angolan Earth observation satellite, to be manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space in France, which strengthens the collaboration between the two countries.
Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems at Airbus said, “Space supports life on Earth. This is why I was honoured to join Presidents João Lourenço and Emmanuel Macron to support Angola’s far-sighted space ambitions. As Angola’s strategic partner for space, Airbus will deliver a latest-generation Earth observation satellite to support social and economic development including a range of strategic activities such as urban planning and management of precious mineral resources.”
Angola has already developed various operational applications using satellite imagery from Airbus Defence and Space, such as land use mapping, agriculture monitoring and maritime surveillance. It also operates its own telecommunications satellite (Angosat-2).
An Airbus S250 optical satellite, Angeo-1 builds upon Airbus’ more than 30 years of experience in building highly reliable space systems. Once in operation, it will become the region’s most advanced satellite in its class, positioning Angola as a leading space power.
This satellite will further foster the development of the country in many different sectors, improving the life of Angolan citizens. Sovereign access to satellite imagery will make a significant contribution to the development of infrastructure, mapping of natural resources, and maritime surveillance including fisheries, agriculture and population.
It will also provide a better understanding of the origins and impacts of climate change on the economy, such as drought monitoring, rising sea levels and water resources. This will lead to being better prepared in case of natural disasters with improved response rates and reduced loss of assets.
As part of the partnership, a comprehensive training programme will be provided for Angolan engineers to build domestic competencies through targeted knowledge transfer.
