03 May 2023

A team of delegates from the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) led by Chief Executive Officer Francis Ngabo were hosted by the president of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Yamakawa Hiroshi and the vice-president of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Iwasaki Eiji, during a week-long strategic visit to enhance the space partnership between Rwanda and Japan.

During the visit, the parties discussed opportunities, collaborations, and the utilisation of space technologies for mutual benefits and the advancements of their space sectors for socio-economic development.

Rwanda and Japan have long-standing historical partnerships, fostering accelerated industrial growth in Rwanda. The two countries signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in 2018 to collaborate on space technologies, emphasising knowledge and technology transfer for producing small satellites. This consequently resulted in the launch of Rwanda’s first satellite, the RWASAT-1.