By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Senegalese aerospace
engineer Abdoul Aziz Sy Niang has strengthened his expertise in satellite Earth
observation systems after being selected among 15 African participants for a
training programme at the European Space Agency (ESA) Academy, with the skills
expected to support Senegal’s NINKI-NANKA satellite project.
Niang, an engineer with
SENSAT Sénégal, contributes to mission analysis for NINKI-NANKA, a future
Senegalese constellation of high-resolution imaging satellites.
The two-week training
programme, conducted face-to-face in Belgium and then remotely, brought
together African and European engineers and students to study the engineering
of imagers and the architecture of imaging platforms.
The courses were delivered
by experts from the European Space Agency and the Association of European Space
Agency Pensioners (ARES), providing participants with specialised knowledge in
the design of satellite Earth observation systems.
Niang said the programme
enabled him to assess the project’s technical decisions against established
European space engineering methods.
“This training allowed me to
compare our design choices with ESA's methods. It is a valuable experience that
I will put at the service of NINKI-NANKA,” he said.
According to SENSAT, the
skills acquired through the programme will directly benefit NINKI-NANKA and
support efforts to develop highly skilled human resources for Senegal’s space
sector.
The initiative forms part of
SENSAT’s ambition to build a pool of highly skilled professionals in support of
Senegal’s space sovereignty.
SENSAT also thanked the
African Space Agency for its support, alongside ESA, ESA Academy and ARES
experts for sharing their knowledge and expertise in African space engineering.
