Senegal has successfully launched its first satellite into orbit, the country's President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has announced.
Dubbed GAINDESAT-1A, it took off from California’s Vandenberg base at 18:56 GMT on Friday.
“The culmination of five years of determined effort by our engineers and technicians, this achievement marks a significant step toward our technological sovereignty,” Faye said on X, expressing gratitude and pride to everyone who facilitated the project.
The satellite was conceived and manufactured by Senegalese engineers, in association with Montpellier’s French University Space Centre, according to Senegalese radio and TV station RTS.
The satellite will collect data for a range of state agencies, including the Water Resources Management and Planning Directorate, to help optimise nationwide resource allocation.
In addition it will gather information for the National Civil Aviation and Meteorology Agency to enhance weather forecasting and airstrip safety, RTS announced.
