(Ecofin Agency) - The project was originally scheduled for 2021 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Senegal is preparing for the launch of its first satellite, GAINDESAT. On October 13, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (MESRI) announced that the satellite would be delivered on November 10. The launch date will then be announced by the government.

The construction of this satellite is the fruit of a partnership agreement signed with the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM). The center offered its assistance to the Senegalese engineers and technicians who built the nanosatellite.

The initiative is part of the implementation of Senegal's national space program "SenSAT". It aims to make the space sector a real lever for Senegal's socio-economic development, through the design and operation of space tools. Initially scheduled for 2021, the launch of Senegal's first satellite was postponed to 2023 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last May, the Senegalese government announced that it was finalizing the construction of a space control center in partnership with France's Centre national d'études spatiales and Ariane Group. The center will be used to prepare the satellite for launch.

"The importance of space science and technology in decision support for the management of natural resources, territories, and sustainable development is now widely recognized throughout the world", said MESRI in a press release.