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.
Airbus Defence and Space’s satellite imagery has already been used by Angola for land use mapping, agriculture monitoring, and maritime surveillance, as well as for its own telecommunications satellite (Angosat-2).
Speaking about the agreement, 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.”
An Airbus S250 optical satellite, Angeo-1 builds upon Airbus- more than 30-year experience in building highly reliable space systems. Once in operation, it will become the most advanced satellite in its class in the region, positioning Angola as a leading space power.
The development of infrastructure, mapping of natural resources, and maritime surveillance, including fisheries, agriculture, and population will be improved with sovereign access to satellite imagery. 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.
As part of the partnership, a comprehensive training programme will be provided for Angolan engineers to build domestic competencies through targeted knowledge transfer.
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