Addis Ababa — -The African Space Agency (AfSA), the space agency of the African Union, officially opened its headquarters in Cairo on Sunday.

Established in 2016 by the AU, the agency aims to coordinate and advance Africa's space initiatives.

AfSA is expected to serve as primary point of contact for Africa's cooperation with Europe and other international partners.

One of its key objectives, as outlined in the African Space Agency Act, is to enhance space missions across Africa, ensuring optimal access to space-derived data, information, services, and products.

Once fully integrated into national, regional, and continental programmes, AfSA will be crucial in eliminating duplication and inefficiencies within the African space ecosystem.

As the official body overseeing and coordinating these efforts, it will also be responsible for effectively implementing the African Space Policy and Strategy and achieving the continent's space-related goals.

Egypt was selected as the host nation of the AfSA in 2019 by the African Union.