What should governments consider before investing in space infrastructure? Before committing resources to space infrastructure, governments must determine which national problems they intend to solve and whether owning a satellite or purchasing commercial services offers the best solution. Successful space infrastructure investment requires more than acquiring advanced technology.
It depends on demonstrated demand, sustainable financing, institutional readiness, workforce development, regulatory planning, cybersecurity, and long-term operational capacity. Drawing on Angola’s experience with ANGOSAT-2, Conecta Angola, GEDAE, and the Angola Drought Decision Support System (ADDSS), the article emphasizes that governments should evaluate space investments based on measurable benefits to public services, economic development, and national capabilities rather than infrastructure ownership alone.
A country decides it wants to invest in a satellite. The technology is available, potential partners are interested, and the project could become an important national achievement.
But before moving forward, I would ask a few questions:
- What problem are we trying to solve?
- Who will use the infrastructure?
- Do we have the people and institutions needed to operate it?
- Is purchasing technology the best way to meet the country’s needs?
In my experience building Angola’s national space program, I’ve learned that acquiring infrastructure is only one part of the process. The greater responsibility is ensuring the investment serves a national purpose and that the country can sustain it over time.
We’ve seen this through ANGOSAT-2, Conecta Angola, and our work in Earth observation and geospatial applications. Each has different requirements, but they all raise questions about demand, financing, technical capacity, and long-term use.
Space science provides countries with powerful capabilities, but access to technology doesn’t automatically mean a country is ready to invest in it. For emerging nations looking to participate in the space economy, this is one of the most important decisions to get right.
What National Problem Are We Actually Trying to Solve?
I would always begin with the national need.
A government may want to expand internet connectivity, improve agricultural monitoring, strengthen disaster preparedness, or develop better information about its natural resources.
These priorities don’t necessarily require the same infrastructure.
Take agriculture, for instance. Satellite imagery can identify crop conditions, changes in vegetation, water stress, and drought patterns. But before investing in an Earth observation system, I would ask which institutions need that information and how they intend to use it.
Angola’s experience with the Angola Drought Decision Support System (ADDSS), developed through research involving MIT’s Space Enabled initiative, is relevant here. The objective is to improve how drought-related information supports planning and responses by integrating satellite observations with data on environmental conditions and community vulnerability.
The same thinking applies to connectivity. ANGOSAT-2 provides communications capacity, but reaching underserved communities also requires equipment, local providers, electricity, and affordable services.
Entering the space economy should begin with understanding what a country needs, and the technology should follow that decision.
Do We Need to Own the Infrastructure to Achieve the Outcome?
I don’t believe every country needs to own a satellite to benefit from satellite services.
Governments can purchase commercial services, lease capacity, develop national infrastructure, establish public-private partnerships, or work with neighboring countries on shared systems.
Owning infrastructure can provide greater control over capacity, operations, and long-term planning, which may be important for national security or strategic autonomy.
But ownership also means taking responsibility for operations, maintenance, staffing, upgrades, and eventual replacement. Angola’s experience with ANGOSAT-2 has made this practical for me.
National communications capacity creates opportunities, but someone still has to make that capacity available to customers. Operators need commercial arrangements, institutions need services that meet their requirements, and ground infrastructure and technical teams have to be in place.
For some countries, purchasing services may be more practical than ownership. For others, regional infrastructure may provide a better balance between cost and control. I would want governments to compare these options before committing significant capital.
What Evidence Should Governments Require Before Approving an Investment?
“A major space investment needs a clear business case. A country can acquire a technically capable satellite and still struggle to achieve sufficient utilization.”
The same applies to Earth observation. A government may purchase high-resolution imagery, but if agencies lack trained personnel, suitable software, or established procedures, much of that information may remain unused.
Angola’s experience with Conecta Angola provides a useful example.
The program connects satellite capacity with communities, institutions, and local service providers, but making that connection requires understanding what customers need and can afford.
A school, a telecommunications operator, and a rural business won’t have identical requirements. Those differences affect equipment, pricing, service design, and the financial model.
Governments entering the space economy should understand how infrastructure will be used before purchasing it. Otherwise, they risk investing in capacity without a clear plan for its utilization, which provides no value.
Is the Country Institutionally Ready to Manage the Investment?
Infrastructure needs institutions that can manage it.
- Who oversees procurement?
- Who manages technical requirements?
- Which agency is responsible for operations?
- Who handles regulation?
- How will the ministries expected to use the services participate?
These questions become especially important when several government institutions are involved.
Through Angola’s Geodata Center, GEDAE, we’re developing capabilities to support property identification, land-use mapping, mining oversight, and improved visibility into physical assets.
But producing geospatial information is just a small part of the work.
“Government agencies need processes for reviewing that information, incorporating it into existing records, and maintaining those records.”
For property identification, this could mean helping institutions identify buildings or land parcels that need to be reviewed against official records.
That information may support fiscal governance, but only if the responsible institutions can use it.
Do We Have the People Required to Operate and Use What We’re Building?
I place a great deal of importance on developing human capital because I’ve seen how much success depends on having the right professionals involved.
A satellite program needs engineers, but also people who understand procurement, cybersecurity, telecommunications regulation, finance, project management, and commercial operations.
Earth observation requires GIS specialists, data scientists, software developers, and professionals who understand the sectors where information will be applied.
This is why workforce planning should be part of the original investment decision.
In Angola, we’ve worked to develop national technical capacity through professional training and programs that expose young people to space technologies and their applications.
Initiatives such as the National Certification Program for Managers and Users of Space Technologies reflect the importance of preparing people to work with these systems.
But training needs to go beyond the classroom.
I want to see professionals gaining experience through internships, apprenticeships, technical operations, research projects, and commercial applications.
A satellite has a limited operational lifespan. It’s the knowledge developed around it that can support future projects for years to come.
What Will the Investment Really Cost Over Its Entire Lifecycle?
The cost of acquiring infrastructure is only the beginning.
A satellite requires design, procurement, launch, ground systems, operations, maintenance, and eventually replacement. There are also staffing, software, cybersecurity, insurance, training, and upgrade costs. These expenses don’t disappear once the satellite becomes operational.
I would like to know whether the country has a financial plan that covers the investment’s entire expected life. Governments also need to consider the cost of making services available to users.
“Conecta Angola has reinforced the importance of affordability and local delivery models. Even when satellite capacity exists, equipment costs, power requirements, and recurring service expenses can make connectivity difficult to sustain.”
Does the Regulatory Environment Support What We Want to Build?
Regulation should be considered before infrastructure is acquired. For satellite communications, governments need to understand spectrum requirements, licensing, orbital-resource coordination, and rules governing service providers.
Through my work with international telecommunications institutions and regional initiatives, I’ve seen how these decisions affect national capabilities. Spectrum and orbital resource coordination primarily takes place within the International Telecommunication Union framework.
ITSO has a different responsibility, promoting global, nondiscriminatory access to satellite communications and overseeing relevant public service obligations.
At the national level, governments need regulations that permit the commercial use of infrastructure. These questions matter for the space economy because the private sector needs a workable environment to operate.
How Should Cybersecurity and Data Sovereignty Shape Decisions?
Cybersecurity is another area I would assess before approving a space investment.
A satellite system depends on ground stations, control networks, communications links, software, and user equipment. Each part needs appropriate protection.
Governments should understand who can access these systems, how information is stored, and what happens if a network becomes unavailable. Data sovereignty raises additional questions.
For example, geospatial information used for national infrastructure, land administration, or security may require specific arrangements for storage, processing, and access.
“As the space economy expands, more institutions and businesses may depend on satellite communications and geospatial platforms. That makes resilience, cybersecurity, and continuity of service a necessary part of the original space investment decision.”
What Should Governments Demand From International and Commercial Partners?
International partnerships have been important to developing space capabilities in many countries, including Angola. They provide access to technical expertise, training, equipment, research, and operational experience.
But I would always ask what the country will be able to do independently after the partnership has delivered its objectives.
Knowledge transfer needs to be specific.
It could include training in mission operations, procurement, technical standards, software development, maintenance, or participation in research and engineering. The goal should be to develop capabilities that remain in the country.
This is important for emerging nations entering the space economy, where experienced technical professionals may still be limited. I would always look at what remains when the international partner leaves. That’s where the long-term value of the relationship becomes clear.
What Could Make This Investment Obsolete or Underused?
Technology changes, and governments need to plan for that.
New satellite systems may enter the market. Service prices may change. Terrestrial networks may expand into areas previously dependent on satellite coverage.
That’s why I would test an investment against multiple future scenarios.
Angola’s experience with Conecta Angola TV White Space is a great example of why flexibility matters. The approach combines ANGOSAT-2 satellite backhaul with TV White Space technology for local distribution.
Rather than installing a dedicated satellite terminal at every location, a satellite-connected access point can provide internet access to multiple users over a wider area.
This helps address equipment and deployment costs that can make individual connections expensive.
“The space economy will continue to change, and infrastructure should be flexible enough to respond to new requirements.”
How Will We Know Whether the Investment Succeeded?
I don’t believe acquiring or launching an asset should be the final measure of success.
Consider GEDAE and its opportunities around property identification and land-use mapping.
The number of satellite images processed may indicate technical activity. But I would also want to know whether agencies are improving records, identifying changes across their territory, and strengthening information available for fiscal administration.
The same applies to drought monitoring. Does the information help institutions assess conditions and plan their response?
Workforce development should also be measured.
- How many professionals have been trained?
- What responsibilities can they now manage?
- Are local companies developing new services?
These are the questions I would ask when evaluating an investment in the space economy.
A country needs to know whether the infrastructure works, but also whether people and institutions are using it.
What Questions Should Every Government Answer Before Saying Yes?
So, before approving a major investment, governments should first focus on answering these initial questions:
- What national problem are we solving, and what outcome do we expect?
- Is space technology the most practical solution?
- Do we need to own the infrastructure, or could commercial services or regional partnerships meet the same need?
- Who will use the services, and what evidence do we have of demand?
- Are the institutions responsible for managing the investment prepared?
- Do we have the required engineers, technical specialists, managers, and commercial professionals?
- What will the infrastructure cost throughout its operational life?
- Are the regulatory, cybersecurity, and data-governance requirements understood?
- What technical expertise and operational capabilities will remain after international partners complete their work?
- How will we measure whether the investment delivered what was promised?
For emerging nations, where investment decisions compete with other development priorities, the discipline to answer these questions before getting started is particularly important.
The Investment Should Begin With the National Need
Building space capabilities requires ambition, but also making difficult decisions before committing resources.
We’ve seen this throughout our many initiatives in Angola. ANGOSAT-2 gave us national communications capacity, but making it useful requires services, customers, ground infrastructure, and trained professionals. Additionally, Conecta Angola has shown the importance of affordability, local providers, and sustainable delivery models.
Our work in geospatial intelligence, including GEDAE and ADDSS, demonstrates another side of the discussion. Satellite information becomes more valuable when institutions have the tools and processes needed to apply it to agriculture, land administration, environmental monitoring, and public services.
Governments must begin with national needs and desired outcomes rather than purchasing technology first. Sometimes the right decision will be to develop a national asset. In other cases, purchasing services, working with commercial providers, or sharing infrastructure regionally may make more sense.
Other countries don’t need to follow Angola’s approach exactly.
Every country has different priorities, financial resources, institutions, and technical capabilities. But I believe a similar decision-making principle applies across emerging markets:
- Start with the problem.
- Understand the options.
- Make sure the people, institutions, and financing are in place.
- Then determine what infrastructure is needed.
Once the investment is operational, measure what people and institutions can accomplish with it. That’s how you ensure your investment in the space economy pays dividends.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should governments consider before investing in space infrastructure?
Governments should begin by identifying the national problem they want to solve. That could mean improving rural connectivity, strengthening agricultural monitoring, or supporting disaster preparedness. Before purchasing technology, they should evaluate demand, financing, institutional readiness, workforce capacity, and long-term operating costs. The goal is to ensure that the investment addresses a clear national need rather than simply acquiring a satellite or other infrastructure.
2. Do emerging countries need to own satellites to participate in the space economy?
No. Countries can participate in the space economy by purchasing commercial satellite services, leasing capacity, developing public-private partnerships, or sharing infrastructure with neighboring nations. Ownership may make sense when national security, strategic control, or long-term demand justifies the investment. However, governments should compare the financial and operational responsibilities of ownership with other available options before making that decision.
3. Why is workforce development important before investing in space technology?
Space infrastructure requires more than engineers to operate successfully. Countries also need data scientists, cybersecurity specialists, project managers, regulators, and professionals who can apply satellite information across different industries. Angola’s experience has reinforced the importance of developing local expertise alongside physical infrastructure. Training should include practical experience so professionals can operate systems, maintain equipment, and develop services without depending indefinitely on international partners.
4. How can governments avoid investing in space infrastructure that becomes underused or obsolete?
I would start by examining how the infrastructure will be used and whether demand can support it over time. Governments should consider changing technology, commercial competition, maintenance requirements, and future operating costs. Angola’s Conecta Angola TV White Space initiative exemplifies adapting satellite connectivity to local conditions by combining satellite backhaul with terrestrial wireless distribution. Planning for flexibility can help countries avoid committing to systems that become too expensive or difficult to maintain.
5. How should governments measure the success of a space infrastructure investment?
I don’t believe acquiring or launching an asset should be the final measure of success. Governments should evaluate what happens after the infrastructure becomes operational. That could include communities gaining reliable connectivity, public institutions improving their services, better agricultural and environmental monitoring, or local businesses developing new opportunities. Programs such as GEDAE demonstrate why governments should look beyond the amount of satellite information collected and examine whether institutions can use it to improve their work.
