WASHINGTON (Chatnewstv.com) — The United States has launched a new series of technical and regulatory space trainings with African partners, opening what officials described as a deeper phase of U.S.-Africa space diplomacy ahead of the NewSpace Africa Conference in Gabon next year.
Senior Bureau Official for African Affairs Jonathan Pratt convened the inaugural U.S.-Africa Technical and Regulatory Space Training Meeting on Tuesday, the State Department said. The session is the first of several planned in the lead-up to the NewSpace Africa Conference scheduled for April 20–23, 2026, in Libreville.
Pratt said the United States aims to help African countries build space programs that are “locally owned, financially sound, and internationally aligned,” emphasizing that Washington does not support models that are dependent on or controlled by external actors.
“The United States seeks to empower African nations to develop space programs that are transparent and sustainable,” Pratt said, according to the State Department. “Our goal is cooperation that is open and mutually beneficial.”
The meeting marked what U.S. officials called an initial step in expanding space cooperation with Africa, a continent that now has more than 60 satellites in orbit. Participants agreed to strengthen collaboration on responsible space exploration and to work together under shared regulatory and technical standards.
Representatives from space agencies in Senegal, Angola, Mauritius, Djibouti, Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, Gabon, Ethiopia, Namibia, Rwanda and Egypt took part in the meeting. Officials from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission also participated.
U.S. officials said additional trainings will follow as Washington seeks to formalize cooperation with African partners and support the growth of space capabilities across the continent.
