episode-header-image

Oct 2021

14m 31s

Is Africa's space age ready for blast of...

Bbc World Service

About this episode

South Africa launched the continent’s first satellite in 1999. Since then, African countries have launched more than 40 more into orbit. And over the next five years, there are plans to triple that number. So, why is there such a scramble to put satellites in space? And how will they benefit people back on Earth?

Host: Karnie Sharp (@KarnieSharp)

Guest: Pontsho Maruping

#AfricaDaily

Up next

Tanzanian elections: What issues are young people concerned about?

As Tanzania gears up for elections on 29 October, we hear from two young people about the issues that matter to them and whether youth concerns have been featured in the electoral campaigns.How a young Senegalese footballer's dream of joining a professional club ended in tragedy ... Show More

Focus on Africa: Hundreds of stolen social media identities used to spread propaganda

A BBC investigation uncovers dozens of social accounts using stolen identities of Somali and Muslim influencers and posting political propaganda content. We hear more about what was uncovered and who might be behind this widespread operation.Chad’s parliament has overwhelmingly a ... Show More

Focus on Africa Can DRC be declared ebola free?

The last ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released from a treatment centre in Kasai province. Can the country now be declared free of this latest outbreak?What is behind the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over control of the Red Sea ... Show More

Recommended Episodes

Are we heading for space wars?

Would conflict on the ground between majors powers now inevitably spill over into space? Experts believe we rely so much on technology in orbit that satellites will become targets. Russia blowing up one of its own satellites has sparked a global debate about whether there are eno ... Show More

We Shall Fly - Part One

Why African nations are so keen to journey into the future as a space-going continent. Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock visits Nigeria, the birthplace of her father, to explore the passionate desire among some to fly against the continent’s impoverished stereotype and join th ... Show More

Space Junk: How Cluttered Is The Final Frontier?

Since the dawn of Sputnik in 1957, space-faring nations have been filling Earth's orbit with satellites. Think GPS, weather forecasting, telecommunications satellites. But as those have increased, so, too, has space junk. On today's show, we talk about the first mission to clean ... Show More

When satellites collide…

There’s been a huge increase in the number of satellites orbiting Earth with private companies and governments planning to launch hundreds more. Near-Earth orbit is already crowded, and the risks posed by space junk are increasing. The consequences could be catastrophic.

Pledges of financial and business support for Africa from Washington

A new US-Africa trade pact. How will it differ from previous ones?Also, who threw a grenade into a camp housing thousands of refugees in Malawi?And Gabon aims to replace the Great Lakes Region as the prime gorilla viewing destination. Can it succeed?Those stories and more in this ... Show More

TechStuff Tidbits: Satellite Orbits 101

What are the different kinds of satellite orbits, and what purpose do they serve? From low Earth orbits to Lagrange points, we take a high-level view. From space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TechStuff Classic: How Satellites Work

How did Sputnik change the world? What do satellites do? And what keeps them in orbit?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Satellites versus the stars

If you look up into the night sky, there are around 7,000 active satellites orbiting the Earth. They’re part of our daily life – essential for things like the internet, the GPS in our cars and giving us weather reports. Seven thousand might not sound a lot in the infinite expanse ... Show More