The role of small satellites in developing countries for sustainable development goals

Smallsats will redefine the conducted technology process through low cost programs affordable for developing countries. Africa has several natural resources to care and monitor in order to use the land and water in effective way. However, Africa is a big continent where complete coverage is a challenge, and it has several geopolitical issues as there is many countries with different technology capabilities within different skills levels. This can be achieved by transferring technology capabilities through university led projects in small satellites with design and operate its own satellites. This knowledge will lead to a better understanding of the capabilities of newest technologies that would, in long term, improve a local market in digital and space technologies. This market will drive the employability of the new engineers trough university in addition with local project regarding local issues and sustainability. Concerning the transverse knowledge and teaching, this will provide new challenge for scholar taking new opportunities for local careers. Fostering the space programs is an aim and challenge for local universities that should lead new opportunities for the new students to its professional career into technology. The starting point should be a local issue that concern the Sustainable Development Goals of one or several countries that will open collaborations among universities and associations as a non dependant government and political concerns. Among the different local issues, taking into account coastal countries, the fishing monitoring and water management are good approaches as piloting the development of satellite technology. The study will be focus on the better strategies for a successfully satellite technology development in such countries. The results would be analysis under the assumptions of a low cycle design budget with short lifetime satellite with low TRL components assembly and barely Space Qualified components. The purpose is to ensure that process understanding is a short term aim for technology transfer. Long term scenario should be leaded to a possible future manufacture of a small satellite, leading almost the whole project with African actors and stakeholders, under the supervision of the space agencies involved