Egypt is heading to develop and manufacture satellites in cooperation with China
May 2025: In a strategic step aimed at enhancing its space capabilities, the Egyptian Cabinet agreed to grant a license to the Egyptian Space Agency to establish a private company concerned with the development and manufacture of satellite, including the possession of the infrastructure necessary for its construction, in addition to establishing specialized launch platforms.
This step comes in the context of the accelerated Egyptian trend towards localizing space industries and developing national capabilities in the field of advanced technology. According to the official sources, the new company will represent an executive arm for the space agency's programs, with the possibility of manufacturing satellites of up to 1,000 kilograms, dedicated to multiple purposes, including military and exploratory uses.
This initiative strengthens the growing partnership between Egypt and China in the field of space technology, as reports indicated that there is a bilateral agreement between Cairo and Beijing that includes technical support and technology transfer, which would open new horizons for Egypt to become a regional center for the manufacture and launch of satellites.
During the past year, the Egyptian Space Agency signed a strategic partnership agreement with a Chinese company specialized in designing, developing and manufacturing small and medium satellites, whose weight ranges between 10 kilograms and more than 1,000 kilograms.
The agreement stipulates the establishment of a joint entity to establish specialized centers for the manufacture of satellites and its components, including various stages of production: from design and software, through the development of sub -systems and space loads, to the manufacture of a group of satellites intended for remote sensing purposes, in a way that serves both military and civil needs alike.
This step is of great strategic importance, as it would enable Egypt to catch up with the regional countries that have succeeded in localizing space technology during the past decades, and even exceeded this to the export stage. For example, the Kingdom of Morocco recently signed a contract for the acquisition of the Israeli espionage satellite, "OFIQ 13", while in 2021 Argentina concluded a deal for a Turkish -made satellite.
The goals of the new Egyptian-Chinese entity are not limited to the local satellite manufacturing, but also include seeking to possess the ability to launch it from inside Egyptian territory, by establishing a platform for launching missiles carrying satellites, which enhances national independence and opens the way for the development of "multi-use" missile technology.
In this context, the Middle East is witnessing a feverish race towards having self -ability to launch satellites, due to its strategic value. Israel was the first country in the region to achieve this ability through its space base in the "Palmakhem" located on the Mediterranean coast. As for Iran, after a series of failures, it recently managed to launch several small satellites using homemade missiles and an internal launch platform.
As part of its rapid space ambition, Turkey plans to establish a launch platform in the Somalia state in the coming years, after it has made remarkable progress in the field of satellite manufacturing, recently crowned by the launch of the first Turkish satellite dedicated to communications and bears the name "Türksat 6A".
