The Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy (FASESA), in collaboration with Boeing, has launched the third edition of the Pathways to Space programme, expanding the initiative to South Africa for the first time.

Announced on 4 March 2026, the programme aims to train more than 2,000 high school students aged 13–18 across Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Programme expansion and education partnerships

The Pathways to Space programme is delivered in collaboration with local educational and government institutions. Participating state schools are identified by national Ministries of Education and Ministries of Science and Technology.

According to Henok Teferra Shawl, Boeing Managing Director for Africa, the programme is intended to introduce students to the wide range of opportunities within the space industry.

“Almost every child dreams of becoming an astronaut, but the space industry offers far broader opportunities — from building satellites and spacecraft and designing hardware and software to supporting mission control, launch operations, life-support systems and on-orbit research,” Shawl said.

He added that Africa’s young and rapidly growing population presents significant potential for future development in the space sector, and the programme seeks to connect that potential with practical skills and career pathways within the continent’s expanding space ecosystem.

Design challenge and industry engagement

The 2026 programme introduces a new design challenge titled “The First African Spacesuit.” Through this project, students will explore aspects of spacesuit engineering, human factors and materials science.

Participants will engage in hands-on design workshops and virtual sessions with former astronauts and aerospace professionals from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Final Frontier Design and leading universities in the United States.

Another central component of the programme will be a high-altitude balloon mission. This activity will allow students to gain practical experience in payload design, atmospheric science and data analysis.

Building Africa’s space education ecosystem

Sean Jacobs, founder and executive director of FASESA, described Pathways to Space as one of the continent’s emerging space education initiatives.

“The 2026 programme reflects our commitment to expanding access, strengthening technical depth, and equipping young people across the continent with the skills and confidence to participate in Africa’s space future,” Jacobs said.

Since its launch in 2024, the programme has engaged more than 1,200 students in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania, with further expansion and curriculum development planned.

The initiative takes place against the backdrop of growing space ambitions across Africa, supported by the African Space Agency, established by the African Union in 2025.

Across the continent, several countries are advancing national space capabilities. Ethiopia is planning additional Earth-observation satellites, Kenya is expanding satellite applications through the Kenya Space Agency, Nigeria continues strengthening remote-sensing and communications systems, and South Africa maintains one of the continent’s most established space ecosystems, with expertise in satellite development, space science and data applications.