Toward African Space Autonomy: Developmental Framework and Incorporated Synergies

The formulation of the Outer Space Treaty signaled to all space actors that space exploration would be bounded by certain ethics and code of conduct and as most countries have ratified this treaty, including several African countries. However, changes or modifications to these policies are dependent on who has the most influence to change them and to which space actors they mostly apply. If African space actors are to hold a major influence in significant decision-making processes on space matters and to use the full extent of some of these policies such as the Access and Utilization of Space Resources, it needs to have a considerable active space presence - something it currently lacks. To this end, there is a need to push for the formation of an independent and sustainable African Space sector - an autonomy echoed by Pan-African Agenda 2063; "The Africa We Want."This push, if properly overseen and diligently implemented, can establish the African continent as an economic giant and a suitable contender for a robust competitive advantage among other space powers. In this article, we propose a model instrument that can be applied to and address the underlying issues of the current climate of the African Space sector - lack of a strategic drive to explore the space industry, underutilization of available resources, the presence of brain drain of intellectuals and qualified personnel to oversee the push for autonomy. To this end, we introduce the six pillars of a developmental framework for the African Space Autonomy.