Satellites: solutions in the sky

Satellite data: a source of development

More and more African countries are seeking to use information collected from space for a huge variety of applications.

For twenty years or so, Africa has increasingly been using satellite data to speed up its development. Reflecting this dynamic effort, fourteen African countries now have their own space agencies. The processing of information gathered by African or (more frequently) foreign satellites assists resource management, territorial development and the fight against climate change. There are more and more projects – for instance in Zambia, where the mapping of water resources enables rural communities to manage their reserves more efficiently, or in Nigeria, where the interpretation of satellite images facilitates the tracking of Boko Haram jihadis. Authorities need reliable, regularly updated indicators, for instance to optimise their handling of the rapid urbanisation of the continent. Yet obstacles remain. Although the ‘entry fee’ has come down with the introduction of nanosatellites (satellites weighing less than 10 kg), many African countries do not yet have enough money to invest in the sector. And there is still only limited expertise available, whether for the construction of satellites or to make use of the data collected. But across the continent, more and more universities are offering specific courses to train students, politicians and development-project managers in how to use data when making public decisions.

Counting elephants from space

To protect elephants, we must know where they are. Using an algorithm, a satellite can now locate and count the pachyderms.

Grey patches in a forest of green patches. Taken by a satellite in orbit 600 kilometres above the Earth, the picture shows elephants moving among the trees and bushes of the South-African Addo Elephant National Park reserve. In a study published in December 2020, researchers from the British universities of Oxford and Bath listed the advantages of satellite imaging for counting elephants. Until now, the most common technique was to use an aircraft flying over the area. But that is a time-consuming and sometimes inaccurate solution. Whereas an observation satellite can, depending on the weather, examine up to 5,000 square kilometres in one pass and then send back the data in just a few minutes. So scientists have taught an algorithm to identify pachyderms – adult and young – against different backgrounds. There is no risk of this non-invasive technique disturbing the animals and it can be used everywhere, even in hard-to-reach or dangerous areas. Counting elephants and knowing exactly where they are is vital for their protection. Poaching and loss of habitat due to human activities have slashed elephant populations from millions at the start of the 20^th century to barely 400,000 today. 

More and more African satellites

Forty or so African satellites are in orbit today. A booming industry.

In 1998, Egypt became the first African country to launch a satellite into space. Since then, ten other countries have followed in its footsteps: Algeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Sudan. In all, 41 African satellites have been placed in orbit. And the continent’s space development is accelerating: nearly half the devices were launched over the last five years. In 2017, Ghana pulled off a coup when it successfully put into Earth orbit the first satellite entirely built by an African nation. Sent to the International Space Station on an American SpaceX rocket, GhanaSat-1 is a miniature satellite designed by researchers at All Nations University in the city of Kofuridua. It is equipped with cameras to monitor the coastal areas of the West-African country. 

The emergence of nanosatellites – which are obviously less expensive – has brought satellite technology within the reach of African nations and so increased their independence. They can now acquire their own data for telecommunications, meteorology, navigation, territorial surveillance and research. However, Africa continues to suffer from a lack of expertise in the domain and has no launch vehicle. The 2019 creation of the African Space Agency with its headquarters in Cairo will enable joint projects and closer cooperation between countries. The African space market should be worth more than 10 billion dollars (8.3 billion euros) by 2024.

Geolocated addresses in view

Start-ups are developing the home-delivery market using GPS geolocation.

The vast majority of Africans do not have a precise home address, so it is difficult to receive deliveries. To solve this problem, Senegal’s Bamba Lô devised ‘Paps’ in 2016. The bicycle and scooter delivery service is now available in a number of African countries. It works by geolocation. If a customer wants a pizza or medicine, they place an order via an application, which records the location of the customer using GPS. The algorithm then passes on the order to one of the 800 delivery riders in the database, choosing the closest one available. Initially developed in cities, the system is steadily being extended to villages. And since 2014, the Kenyan start-up Okhi has been providing addresses for people who do not have one. It asks for a photo of the front door or gate of the person’s home and links it to geolocation coordinates by GPS. The customer is then registered in the Okhi system and has an address. They can use it for any purpose – administrative, banking, etc. But having an address does not always enable people to receive deliveries. You also need to be near a road and 60% of Africans live more than two kilometres from a surfaced track. Drones might be the answer. In Rwanda and Ghana, the American start-up Zipline already uses them to deliver blood bags to hospitals or Covid-test samples to laboratories.