The recent visit of Yuri Borisov, the Director-General of the Russian space agency ROSCOSMOS to Algeria, signifies the dawn of a new era of cooperation in the realm of space between Algeria and Russia.
In the Algerian capital, at the premises of the Algerian Space Agency (ASAL), a bronze bust of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, was unveiled. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Azzedine Oussedik, the head of the Algerian Space Agency, the Russian Federation ambassador to Algiers, Valerian Vladimirovich Shuvaev, and the delegation from the state company Roscosmos led by its Director-General Yuri Ivanovich Borisov.
On the sidelines of this ceremony, the heads of the two space agencies signed a comprehensive space agreement between the two countries. This pact aims to promote scientific and technical exchanges and provides for Russian assistance in training Algerian personnel in the field of space industry.
Certain Russian sources highlight the significance of this agreement as highly important for both countries. A Russian source, who is close to the case, revealed to Menadefense that the agreement followed the state visit of President Tebboune to Moscow and its details were personally approved by President Putin. Notably, the agreement includes the dispatch of one or more Algerian astronauts into space in the near future, the transfer of space technology, and the joint construction of communication, positioning, and observation satellites at the Oran satellite integration center. Moreover, Roscosmos, which is about to launch a new manned space station, hopes to incorporate an Algerian-built scientific module. ASAL, with plans for space launches from the territory, could also benefit from Russian expertise in the field.
In turn, the Interfax agency published an article confirming Russia’s desire to progress with ASAL. Borisov, while responding to questions from the agency, stated that the Algerian and Egyptian agencies were invited to participate in the creation of the new Russian orbital station.
“I have offered them (Algeria and Egypt) to participate in the Russian orbital station. Not only the training of astronauts, but also the construction of national modules,” Borisov said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the head of Roscosmos, matters of creating multi-satellite orbital constellations and issues of space launches were also discussed with the two countries.
ASAL is currently finalizing its bi-decade plan, following the completion of its first 2000-2020 plan with the launch of the Alcomsat-1 telecommunications satellite.
While the plan is yet to be ratified, it’s highly ambitious, aiming to equip Algeria with the capabilities for the design, manufacturing, and launching of satellites, drawing on the skills of dozens of Algerians trained in Britain and China in the space sector. The closeness with Russia doesn’t signify exclusivity in technical relations with the country. ASAL continues to maintain its relations with Italy, France, China, and South Korea.