By Sarah Cope | 2026-04-15

Botswana recently marked the first anniversary of its successful entry into orbit, via the March 2025 launch of the nation's first satellite, BOTSAT-1, and says it has a second satellite in the works.

The satellite's first broadcast message was Botswana's national anthem in Setswana, the national language.

BOTSAT-1 is now playing a key role in Earth observation, meteorology and disaster management, per the African Space Agency (AfSA), of which Botswana is a member, and is expected to reduce reliance on foreign satellite services.

In a parliamentary address delivered in November, Minister of Communications and Innovation David Tshere announced the intention to launch BOTSAT-2, marking the next phase in the African nation's growing space ambitions.

The commercialization of Earth observation data obtained by BOTSAT-1 will play a pivotal role in funding the new satellite, he said. Upgrades to the BOTSAT-1 ground station also will support the project, Space in Africa reported.

The ground station is hosted by Botswana International University of Science and Technology, which serves as a hub for data reception and processing.

"For Botswana’s satellite developments, the plan is to launch BOTSAT-2 to augment the achievements made under BOTSAT-1," Tshere noted, adding that engagements with international partners have commenced.

BOTSAT-1 launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Base in the United States, with Botswana President Duma Boko in attendance.

Boko hailed the launch as a "historic achievement."

The US Embassy in Gaborone has actively promoted the "US-Botswana space partnership," and it is highly likely Botswana will again look to US companies like SpaceX for BOTSAT-2, to keep launch costs manageable.

Regional, international partnerships

Botswana is fast emerging as one of Africa’s quiet pioneers in space technology, joining a growing list of African nations that are turning to satellite technology to solve local challenges, per the FurtherAfrica news and business website.

Though it does not yet have a national space agency, it is a member of AfSA, which is promoting greater coordination across the continent, enabling the steady expansion of Africa's role in the global space economy.

The BOTSAT-1 launch placed Botswana among 16 African nations with space capabilities, advancing national goals in agriculture, disaster response and security, according to business media outlet Tech in Africa.

The satellite project reflects Botswana’s dedication to building a national space program, it said, and has been a game-changer in building its engineering capabilities, positioning it as a rising player in Africa’s expanding space market.

"The expertise gained from BOTSAT-1 is already being put to work on BOTSAT-2," the outlet noted. "With the new clean-room facility in place, future satellite assembly will now be conducted entirely within Botswana."

Botswana is also stepping into the global space market, forging partnerships with companies such as Bulgaria-headquartered EnduroSat and South Africa's Dragonfly Aerospace, in addition to SpaceX.

Regulatory, security cooperation

In December, Botswana joined the inaugural US-Africa Technical and Regulatory Space Training organized by the US State Department.

The training, which included Senegal, Angola, Mauritius, Djibouti, Nigeria, Kenya, Gabon, Ethiopia, Namibia, Rwanda and Egypt, kicked off a series in the lead-up to the NewSpace Africa Conference, slated for April 20-23, in Libreville, Gabon.

It was designed to help partner nations with emerging space programs navigate the complex legal and regulatory environment of space and align their programs with established international practices.

Per US officials, it focused on space governance cooperation, including licensing, satellite operations, debris mitigation, and responsible space exploration.

In late January, US Space Forces Africa and the Botswana Defense Force met in Gaborone to begin planning for Exercise Southern Accord 2026, which is expected to incorporate space-based support into multi-domain operations.

This will include communications and situational awareness.

Southern Accord is a biannual joint training exercise sponsored by US Africa Command that brings together US Army, Air Force and Botswana Defense Force personnel to address regional threats like terrorism and transnational crime.

Cooperation beyond security

Enhancing Botswana’s space programing will have direct, tangible benefits to the nation, observers say. Satellite data can better inform agricultural practices and conservation, awareness of weather patterns, and resource management.

The African nation's economy relies on diamond mining, with smaller reserves of copper, nickel and coal, according to a country guide published in December by the US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration.

Satellite surveillance is key to land and mining management and oversight.

Better monitoring practices can produce both economic and environmental benefits to Botswana, as well as further establish best practices from which international partners can learn.

Botswana participates in an array of astronomy projects already, including the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) and the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN).

These efforts contribute to global scientific data collection and analysis, while building domestic technical capacity, and reflect Botswana’s growing participation in international research efforts.