Tanzania has secured a slot in the orbital space, paving way for the country to launch its first satellite into space.

In a statement on Friday, December 15, Tanzania’s Minister for Communication and Information Technology Nape Nnauye noted that the country had made a significant step in space exploration.

“This success is one of the fruits of 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC23),” stated Nnauye.

The space allocated to Tanzania in the orbit is 16 degrees west, meant for enabling the country to explore space science and technology.

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In July 2023, Nnauye had disclosed that the government was committed to launching the country’s first satellite in less than one year.

Launching the satellite will come with several benefits in various sectors of communication, agriculture, industry and disaster management.

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Space technology will play a key role in natural resource exploration and other economic sectors.

The new development puts Tanzania in the group of a few countries in Africa that have invested in space technology.

For instance, Egypt has 9 satellites in orbit, followed by South Africa with 8 satellites, Algeria has 7 while Nigeria has 6 satellites.

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Other countries like Kenya, Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda and Mauritius have also made an impact in space exploration.