GMV to lead consortium designing a sustainable Earth observation mission for Africa

GMV will coordinate the EURAFREO consortium in defining and carrying out the preliminary design of an Earth observation mission intended to support decision-making in areas such as agriculture, water resource management, land use planning and climate resilience across Africa.

The New Space Partnership for Earth Observation (EO) Mission is funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), managed by the European Space Agency (ESA), and implemented with the support of the African Space Agency (AfSA). The initiative is part of the Africa-Europe Space Partnership Programme (AESPP), a collaboration between the African Union and the European Union aimed at strengthening space cooperation between the two continents. The AESPP supports the development of Africa’s space capabilities and drives innovative Earth observation and New Space technology-based solutions to advance climate resilience, sustainable development, innovation and economic growth.

The EURAFREO consortium brings together GMV and its Spanish subsidiary Alén Space, together with Astrofica Technologies (South Africa), Space in Africa (Nigeria), and LocateIT (Kenya). As consortium coordinator, GMV will lead a team that combines complementary expertise in Earth observation, New Space technologies, mission development, and innovation to design a scalable mission tailored to Africa’s needs and capable of delivering tangible socioeconomic benefits.

The consortium was established following the first Africa-Europe EO Matchmaking event, held in Abidjan with the support of ESA, AfSA, and the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC). The event fostered new partnerships between African and European organizations, leading GMV, Astrofica Technologies, and LocateIT to begin collaborating. Together with Space in Africa and Alén Space, they subsequently formed the EURAFREO consortium.

In addition to developing a new Earth observation capability, the project will help strengthen Africa’s space industry by fostering innovation, promoting knowledge transfer, and developing technical expertise. It will also support the growth of a sustainable space ecosystem while enhancing the ability of African organizations to develop and operate future space missions. 

Throughout the project, the consortium partners will work closely with institutions, end users, and other stakeholders to advance new Earth observation capabilities and strengthen space cooperation between Europe and Africa.