Space
Ethiopia
Space agency/agencies
The Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute (ESSGI), established in 2022 through the merger of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) and the Ethiopian Geospatial Information Institute (EGII), is set to advance its initiatives by 2025.
Space program overview
The institute is dedicated to the acquisition and management of satellites along with research endeavors; it collaborates with international partners to develop satellites and actively operates and utilizes remote sensing (RS) satellites. ESSGI is working on enhancing its capacity to produce satellites and their payloads, while also engaging in astronomy and the development of space observatories. Its collaborations extend to various nations, including China, France, India, Russia, and several African nations, notably Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Additionally, it provides remote sensing data to neighboring countries as of 2025.
Key space-program milestones
2015 - The Entoto Observatory and Space Science Research Center was inaugurated.
2019 - The first remote sensing (RS) satellite, Ethiopia RS Satellite (ETRSS-1), was constructed and launched by China.
2020 - The second RS satellite, ET-SMART-RSS, was built with Chinese support and launched; construction began on a facility for satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing.
2021 - A multi-mission ground control station for RS satellites was established.
2024 - The second satellite ground station was announced as operational.
2025 - Plans were unveiled to launch the third RS satellite (ETRSS-02) in collaboration with China in 2026.