China builds space alliances in Africa

China has now cut more than 20 deals with African nations in its bid to surpass the U.S. in space.

In a special investigation for Reuters, Joey Roulette, Eduardo Baptista, Sarah El Safty and Joe Brock look at how China is forging space alliances across Africa in a bid to surpass the U.S. in space:

"The Egyptian satellite lab is the latest advancement in China’s secretive overseas space program. Beijing is building space alliances in Africa to enhance its global surveillance network and advance its bid to become the world’s dominant space power, Reuters has learned. China has publicly announced much of this space assistance to African countries, including its donations of satellites, space monitoring telescopes and ground stations. What it hasn’t discussed openly, and which Reuters is reporting for the first time, is that Beijing has access to data and images collected from this space technology, and that Chinese personnel maintain a long-term presence in facilities it builds in Africa.

The satellite plant, which began operating in 2023, is part of a suite of space technology that China has gifted to Egypt over the past two years. Transfers that have been disclosed publicly include a new space monitoring center, which features two of the world’s most powerful telescopes, plus two Earth observation satellites launched in 2023 – the one that was assembled in Egypt, and another manufactured solely in China. In addition, China that year launched a third, Chinese-made satellite for Egypt, one capable of military-grade surveillance, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.”

Tom Parfitt in The Times explores how Russia is falling behind India and China in the new space race:

“Western sanctions triggered by the invasion of Ukraine have taken their toll, just as China sends astronauts to its Tiangong space station and India, a relative newcomer, plans a Venus orbiter mission.

Analysts say that the Russian spacefaring prowess is useful for Putin. ‘Space activity still legitimates authoritarian governance in Russia, just as it did decades ago,’ said Pavel Luzin, a senior non-resident fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). ‘In this way it is highly important.’

Putin is also keen to boost Russia’s military capabilities in space, including navigation and surveillance, although he has denied US claims that he is developing an anti-satellite weapon with a nuclear warhead.”

In Space News, Jeff Foust reports on the recent raft of grants awarded by the Texas Space Commission:

"A Texas state agency awarded $47.7 million in grants to five space companies to support projects like construction of facilities and development of spacecraft in the state.

The Texas Space Commission announced Feb. 10 that it awarded the grants to Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, SpaceX and Starlab Space. The grants are part of the commission’s Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) program.

‘Today’s awards will support Texas companies as we grow commercial, military and civil aerospace activity across the state,’ Gwen Griffin, chair of the board of the commission, said in a statement.

The commission as well as the SEARF program were established by legislation enacted in 2023 intended to support the growth of the state’s space industry. That included an appropriation of $150 mission for the SEARF program.

In European Spaceflight, Andrew Parsonson reports on the EU Commission’s call for faster progress on launcher development:

“During a keynote address at the Perspectives Spatiales 2025 event in Paris, European Commissioner for Defence Industry and Space Andrius Kubilius outlined the challenging position the European space sector finds itself in.

‘Commercial sales are down. Exports are down. Profits are down. And this comes at a time when we need space more than ever. For our security. For our survival.’

Commissioner Kubilius identified the continent’s sovereign access to space as vital for Europe’s strategic autonomy. While he acknowledged that introducing Ariane 6 and returning Vega C to flight were ‘important steps,’ he highlighted the need for Europe to accelerate its work on launchers, mastering key technologies including reusability and return capabilities. He did, however, acknowledge that this future would require bold decisions.

‘Now is the time for Europe to make the right choices for the future. To have the launchers we need, we must learn from the lessons of the past.’”

And NASA has released this mesmerising video of the aurora borealis, captured from the International Space Station: