Ethiopia launched its first satellite into space on Friday, 20th December 2019. The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite took place at a space station in China, while Ethiopian and Chinese officials and scientists gathered at the Entoto Observatory and Research Center on the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, to watch a live broadcast.

Demeke Mekonnen, Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister said, "This will be a foundation for our historic journey to prosperity. This technological infrastructure is important even if it's delayed."

Ethiopia's 70-kilogram weighing remote sensing satellite is to be used for agricultural, climate, mining and environmental observations, allowing Ethiopia to collect data and improve its ability to plan for changing weather patterns for example. The satellite will operate from space around 700 kilometers above the surface of the earth.

Ethiopia is the eleventh African country to launch a satellite into space.

It is the eighth launch of an African satellite this year, topping the previous record of seven in 2017, according to Temidayo Oniosun, managing director of Space in Africa, a Nigeria-based firm that tracks African space programs. "We can say that 2019 is pretty much the best year in the history of the African space industry," Oniosun said.

All said, 41 African satellites have now been launched, 38 of which were done from individual countries and three from multilateral efforts. None of those launches has taken place from African soil, however. 

Ethiopia established its Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute in 2016. The space program was originally championed by private individuals who formed the Ethiopian Space Science Society in 2004.

Sources: CIO, Quartz Africa, AlJazeera, Space.com