As the continent's aerospace ambitions grow rapidly, a major educational initiative is rising to build the necessary talent pipeline. On 4 March 2026, the Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy (FASESA) and Boeing announced the third edition of their “way to spaceProgram. For the first time, the initiative is expanding to South Africa, complementing its ongoing implementation in Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria.
The 2026 iteration marks a significant increase in scale, aiming to train more than 2,000 high school students between the ages of 13 and 18 in four countries.. Delivered in partnership with local educational and government institutions, participating state schools are identified directly by the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology..
Engineering the “First African Spacesuit”
Moving on from the theoretical classroom module, event organizers are introducing a highly specific new design challenge based on the theme “The First African Spacesuit”.. Students will be tasked with exploring the subtle interrelationships of human factors, materials science, and spacesuit engineering.
This practical, industry-aligned learning will include guided workshops and virtual sessions led by former astronauts as well as global aerospace professionals from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Final Frontier Design, and top U.S. universities..
Additionally, a core component of the 2026 course will include a physical high-altitude balloon mission. It is designed to deepen students' practical understanding of atmospheric science, payload design and data analysis.
“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 support mission control, launch operations, life-support systems and on-orbit research,” said Henoch Tefera Schall, Boeing's managing director for Africa.. He stressed that the program aims to connect the untapped potential of Africa's rapidly growing population and the continent's growing space ecosystem with tangible skills..
Sean Jacobs, Founder and Executive Director of FASESA, echoed this sentiment, saying the 2026 program reflects a commitment to equipping African youth with the technical depth and confidence needed to participate in the continent's space future..
wider continental context
This educational boost aligns perfectly with significant government momentum across the region. African Union to launch African Space Agency in 2025 to coordinate continental space ambitions.
At the regional level, the ecosystem is fragmenting into different specializations:
- South Africa: It remains the continent's most mature space ecosystem, with deep expertise in space science, data applications and satellite development.
- Ethiopia: Planning for additional Earth-observation satellites is actively being pursued.
- Kenya: Kenya has continued to expand its satellite applications through the Space Agency.
- Nigeria: Focusing on strengthening its communications and remote-sensing capabilities.
Since its initial launch in 2024, the Pathways to Space initiative has reached more than 1,200 students in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania.. For Boeing, which currently holds 70% market share in African commercial aviation and operates offices in both South Africa and Ethiopia, this initiative is part of a larger, long-term historic investment. Over the past decade, the aerospace company has invested $14.5 million in educational and non-profit community partnerships in Africa, reaching more than 43,500 individuals through educational programs in the last five years alone..
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