Turkish space company Fergani Space announced the launch of its first satellite on 15 January 2025, according to a post on X (Handout / SpaceX / AA)
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is on course to launch its first satellite in 2027 under an expanding space partnership with Türkiye, Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Alper Aktaş said Thursday.
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Addressing an event in Mogadishu, Aktaş said the initiative would be carried out in Warsheekh district, in the Middle Shabelle region. A facility focused on satellite operations and space research is expected to be built there.
“If I had said five or 10 years ago that one day Somalia would launch a satellite into space, many people might have laughed at us,” Aktaş said.
He pointed to improvements in Somalia’s security and diplomatic environment as evidence of the country’s broader transformation. Foreign diplomats are now based in Mogadishu, he said, with some even sending their children to schools in the capital.
Aktaş also addressed oil and natural gas exploration in Somali waters, saying Turkish teams are currently working off the country’s coast.
“I hope that when good news regarding the exploration results is received, you will remember us,” he said.
Turkish fishing vessels are expected to start arriving in Somalia in October, Aktaş said, as part of efforts to expand the fishing sector and strengthen the country’s marine economy.
He said Somalia’s fisheries and other maritime resources could make a substantial contribution to the country’s blue economy.
Beyond space, oil and fisheries, the ambassador said Mogadishu and Ankara were also considering major cooperation in mining, agriculture, roads and urban connectivity across Somalia.
“What we discussed today reflects what we have achieved so far, but our aspirations and goals go far beyond that,” Aktaş said.
The planned launch would make Somalia the first African country to send satellites into orbit from its own territory, marking a significant development for a nation rebuilding after decades of conflict.
The partnership with Türkiye is expected to include a spaceport on Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast.
The initiative has been characterized as one of the largest foreign investments in Somalia’s recent history and as another sign of the strengthening strategic relationship between Mogadishu and Ankara.
Somalia lies just above the equator and extends across the northern and southern hemispheres. Its location makes the country one of the most advantageous places on Earth for launching rockets.
Launches from equatorial regions can take advantage of Earth’s maximum rotational velocity—approximately 1,670 kmph—helping reduce fuel consumption while allowing rockets to carry larger payloads.
The proposed 30×30 km site on Somalia’s coastline, the longest in mainland Africa, would offer a clear eastward flight path over the Indian Ocean. The region’s consistently clear skies would also help ensure that spent rocket stages fall safely away from populated areas.
