On September 24th of 2018, the partnership between African Artists for Development (AAD) and EUMETSAT for the new African Space Art Project (ASAP) was announced in Abidjan.
Many high-level Ivorian officials were present as well as Alain Ratier EUMETSAT General manager and Matthias Leridon AAD Copresident
This project aims to send in space in 2021 the 3rd satellite generation whose Ariane 5 nose-cone rocket will be adomed with an African Artwork reproduction.
The geostationary satellite will be sit above a particular spot along of the Equator. It will deliver an image every 5 to 10 minutes, allowing what is known as “nowcasting”.
Thanks to these, meteorological data can be collected, especially on the African continent, to tackle climate warming and pollution.
Unlike western military space conquests, the first pan-African step in space will be artistic and ambitious.
The officials welcomed this large-scale program which emphasises the continent’s ambition for sustainable growth.
