Botswana
Botswana's space sector doesn't have a single dominant area yet.
Recorded activity for Botswana is still early-stage, spread thinly across public-sector presence, commercial activity, and international collaboration. Compared with South African countries captured on Spacehubs Africa tracked on the platform, it ranks 2 of 5 by recorded activity. (13 of 55 continent-wide.)
Coverage Rank
2 of 5
Captured Records
29
Benchmark Scope
South African countries captured on Spacehubs Africa
13 of 55 continent-wide
This is a platform-coverage benchmark, not an official national capability ranking.
Overview
Botswana achieved a notable milestone in March 2025 with the launch of BOTSAT-1 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 as part of the Transporter-13 rideshare mission from Vandenberg. The 3U CubeSat was developed through the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) in collaboration with Bulgarian manufacturer EnduroSat, carrying a Mantis Hyperspectral Imager built by South Africa's Dragonfly Aerospace. BOTSAT-1 supports agricultural monitoring, environmental assessment, mineral mapping, and urban planning at approximately 12-metre resolution. Botswana currently lacks a dedicated space agency and a formal space policy, though establishing both is a stated government priority. In June 2026, Botswana signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the sixth African signatory and the first to do so without a functioning space agency at the time of signing. BOTSAT-1 has been cited as a model for resource-constrained space programme entrants.
International Collaborations
Active and high-signal collaboration records currently captured for this country.
Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
+104
Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched Into Outer Space
+93
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Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
+73
Wetland Assessment and Monitoring Services for Transboundary Basins in Southern Africa
Square Kilometre Array Observatory
+17
Satellites
On-orbit footprint for Botswana. Expand below for the full satellite history.
Chart & data view
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