Русский
Tanzania’s communications ministry has signed a framework memorandum on space cooperation with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, who expects to launch Tanzania’s first Earth observation satellite on a Russian rocket in March 2027. Russia will help set up a national space agency, build ground stations and train specialists.
The framework memorandum signed between Roscosmos and Tanzania’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on October 28, 2026, serves as the formal starting point for structured bilateral space cooperation. The agreement contractually covers:
- The March 2027 Satellite Launch: Providing the rocket and launch services for Tanzania’s first Earth remote-sensing satellite.
- Infrastructure Development: Technical support for establishing the new national space agency and constructing ground data stations.
- Capacity Building: Methodology and training for Tanzanian space industry specialists and researchers.
Tanzania adopted a five-year space programme in February this year and is drafting a space policy and a space law. Tanzanian satellite data would serve its farming, forestry, environmental and water resource monitoring, and assist with mineral mapping.
This is part of Tanzania’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2030) titled “From Mount Kilimanjaro to Space”, which outlines its dedicated Space Policy and contains Tanzania’s 2026 National Space Policy and 2026 Space Act.
Tanzania is also collaborating with Côte d’Ivoire on the TanSat-1 mission (a 1U CubeSat) to handle IoT data, game reserve GPS tracking, and environmental monitoring via deployment from the International Space Station. TanSat-1 is a joint initiative between the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that helps developing nations build space technology capabilities.
The exact cost, manufacturer, financing arrangements, and ownership structure of Russia’s assistance to Tanzania’s space programme have not been publicly disclosed.
