Girls to design Africa’s first private space satellite

Africa is set to launch its first private satellite into space, thanks to the efforts of two teenage girls. Brittany Bull, 17, and Sesam Mngqengqiswa, 16, along with a team of high school girls in Cape Town, South Africa, have designed and built payloads for a satellite that will orbit over Africa’s surface, collecting information on agriculture and food security. The data will help predict future problems in Africa and aid disaster prevention. The project aims to encourage more African women to pursue careers in STEM fields and is being carried out in collaboration with the Meta Economic Development Organization (MEDO) and Morehead State University. If successful, the launch will make MEDO the first private company in Africa to send a satellite into orbit. The project has already conducted trials using small satellites and high-altitude weather balloons to collect thermal imaging data. Ultimately, the team hopes to include girls from other African countries in the project, such as Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, and Rwanda. Mngqengqiswa, who comes from a single-parent household, hopes to make her mother proud by becoming a space engineer or astronaut. The project aims to provide opportunities for black Africans to experience space and inspire girls to believe that any career is possible.