Introduction to Outer Space and History of Space in Africa

This chapter introduces the concept and provides the history of outer space on the continent. It frames outer space as a strategic, technological, and socio-economic domain and sets out the unresolved question of legal delimitation between national airspace and outer space. It contrasts specialist proposals that fix an altitude threshold with functionalist approaches that attach legal regimes to the nature of the activity and notes the absence of a settled boundary in United Nations practice and treaty texts. It then traces the evolution of outer space activities on the continent from ancient African astronomy to the Space Age, situating the continent’s early roles in tracking and launch support and its gradual shift towards indigenous capability, with emblematic sites such as Malindi and Hartebeesthoek alongside observatory traditions. The discussion then shifts to Africa’s policy drivers such as development applications in agriculture, disaster management, resource governance, connectivity, and national prestige. It identifies enduring ‘development versus space’ tension and capacity constraints. The chapter then maps the contours of the African space economy and positions these historical and conceptual foundations as crucial to understanding the context of outer space as flagship programme of Agenda 2063.