"El auge de lanzamientos de satélites en África: ¿qué está impulsando esta carrera espacial?"

Uno a uno, los satélites – cada uno de ellos adornado con una mezcla de paneles solares y otros dispositivos – se desprendieron de su nave nodriza.

They had blasted off from Earth just an hour earlier, on 16 August. The 116 satellites onboard the launch vehicle were mostly designed and built by Western nations and businesses – but one of them was different.

A small CubeSat called GaindeSAT-1A, it will provide earth observation and telecommunications services. Senegal’s president called it a big step towards “technological sovereignty”.