02 May 2024

TRL Space Rwanda is spearheading an initiative to establish Africa’s first satellite and equatorial constellation hub.

This effort has garnered significant acclaim, with the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, commending the initiative during his recent visit to the TRL Space office in Kigali, Rwanda.

TRL Space’s visionary plan in Rwanda is to cultivate indigenous capabilities for developing nano-satellites and equatorial constellations, laying the foundation for a thriving space ecosystem on the African continent.

The first milestone will be the development of a 6U Cubesat at the Rwandan branch in the coming months. This endeavour will be supported by the Czech-based space company TRL Space in collaboration with the Rwandan Space Agency (RSA). This groundbreaking initiative marks a significant stride for Rwanda, as TRL Space aims to establish a centre for building small satellites that will serve the entire African continent.

TRL Space is committed to bringing its expertise, development, and production capabilities to Rwanda in cooperation with the government, universities, and research organisations. The company plans to invest more than US$2 million, underscoring its dedication to fostering a sustainable space ecosystem in Africa.

The first phase of the satellite mission, which will be exclusively dedicated to supporting Rwandan agriculture, has already commenced.

TRL Space envisions creating a complete constellation of satellites that will ensure regular and sufficient imaging of the entire African continent. While the first satellite will be built by engineers from Europe and Africa working together, future satellites will primarily be developed by TRL Space engineers based in Rwanda.

“Our intention is not just to deliver these technologies to Rwanda. We bring added value to the region. Our goal is to introduce new space technologies that increase the economic and living standards of the entire region,” said TRL Space’s CEO, Petr Kapoun.