Roscosmos to launch Tanzania's first Earth observation satellite in March 2027

Roscosmos and Tanzania's communication and IT ministry agreed a framework memorandum on strategic partnership in Moscow on 28 October 2026, during the third Russia-Africa Summit. Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov and Permanent Secretary Mohammed Khamis Abdulla signed it. Bakanov said Russia will launch Tanzania's first Earth remote-sensing satellite in March 2027.

The memorandum also covers expert support for Tanzania's planned national space agency, possible Tanzanian-built spacecraft flown on Russian rockets, sharing of remote-sensing data, ground stations in Tanzania, and more Tanzanian students in space disciplines at Russian universities. Joint working groups will draft roadmaps.

The satellite is separate from TanSat-1, a 1U CubeSat being built with Côte d'Ivoire under the UNOOSA-JAXA KiboCUBE programme. Its specifications, manufacturer and launch vehicle have not been disclosed.

Why it matters: A first national Earth observation satellite and domestic ground stations could give Tanzanian agencies their own imagery for agriculture, land and environmental work. The undisclosed specifications and tight timeline leave open how soon usable data will flow.