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Development in astronomy and space science in Africa

Nature Astronomy volume 2, pages 507–510 (2018)Cite this article

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The development of astronomy and space science in Africa has grown significantly over the past few years. These advancements make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals more achievable, and open up the possibility of new beneficial collaborations.

Until recently, South Africa with the Southern African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO), Namibia with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), and Morocco, Algeria and Egypt with their optical observatories, were almost the only astronomy references in Africa. Also, South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria were the only four African countries with established satellite programmes. In recent years, many other countries began research activities in astronomy and space science (A&SS), starting with institutional development, human capacity development (HCD), scientific research and networking. The African Union (AU) took important steps in promoting the development of A&SS on a continental scale for improving some of the main socioeconomic and environmental challenges that Africa is facing, and for achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This Comment aims to provide an overview of the current status and future prospects of A&SS in Africa.

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Fig. 1: The Entoto Observatory and Research Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Getnet Gebereegziabher

Fig. 2: The Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory, Kuntunse.

Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute

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Acknowledgements

This paper is dedicated to all of the people who somehow contributed to the development of A&SS in Africa. Without them all of this would not be possible. In addition, this paper was inspired by sessions SS23 and LS7 during the 2018 European Week of A&SS (EWASS). Both sessions were supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK Royal Astronomical Society, International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy for Development, European Astronomical Society, International Science Programme, and Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Mirjana Pović, Solomon Belay Tessema, Alemiye Mamo & Abdissa Yilma

  2. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Granada, Spain

    Mirjana Pović

  3. Department of Physics, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia

    Michael Backes

  4. Centre for Space Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Michael Backes

  5. Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

    Paul Baki

  6. French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    David Baratoux

  7. Oukaïmeden Observatory and the Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco

    Zouhair Benkhaldoun

  8. Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye, Botswana

    Michael Bode

  9. Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute, Accra, Ghana

    Nana A. Browne Klutse

  10. University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Phil Charles

  11. Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU), Cape Town, South Africa

    Kevin Govender & Vanessa McBride

  12. South African Astronomical Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa

    Kevin Govender, Sivuyile Manxoyi & Vanessa McBride

  13. International Science Programme, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Ernst van Groningen

  14. Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda

    Edward Jurua

  15. East African Regional Office of Astronomy for Development, ESSTI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Alemiye Mamo

  16. Mentouri University, Constantine-1, LPMPS, Algeria

    Jamal Mimouni

  17. Department of Science and Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

    Takalani Nemaungani

  18. University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda

    Pheneas Nkundabakura

  19. West African Regional Office of Astronomy for Development, NASRDA, Centre for Basic Space Science, Nsukka, Nigeria

    Bonaventure Okere

  20. National Research Institute of Astronomy & Geophysics, Cairo, Egypt

    Somaya Saad

  21. Southern African Regional Office of Astronomy for Development, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia

    Prospery C. Simpemba

  22. Ethiopian Space Science Society, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Tefera Walwa

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  1. Mirjana Pović
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  15. Vanessa McBride
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  16. Jamal Mimouni
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  17. Takalani Nemaungani
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  18. Pheneas Nkundabakura
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  19. Bonaventure Okere
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  20. Somaya Saad
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  21. Prospery C. Simpemba
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  22. Tefera Walwa
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  23. Abdissa Yilma
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Correspondence to Mirjana Pović.

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Pović, M., Backes, M., Baki, P. et al. Development in astronomy and space science in Africa. Nat Astron 2, 507–510 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0525-x

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