By: Dwight Links
Namibia is developing legislation for participating in the realm of space science and the technology that is developed around it.
The public engagement process was conducted by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts & Culture (MEIYSAC).
The Khomas region’s engagement took place in early August, which included stakeholders from both public and private institutions.
The bill under development is geared to ‘promote the use of space science and technology and cooperation in space-related activities’.
Much of the ambition of the bill is to allow for research and development, and possible commercialisation.
“Fostering research in space science to support the creation of an environment conducive to industrial development in space technologies within the framework of national government policy,” the bill describes.
Deputy executive director of MEIYSAC and member of the committee who drafted the bill, Lisho Mundia, explained that in 2021 the country adopted the very first Space Science & Technology Policy.
“In that policy we provided a national strategic direction for addressing space science, and of course, the innovations that are advanced within it,” Mundia explained.
According to him, another aim of the policy was to strengthen Namibia’s scientific and technical capacity.
“That policy included environmental sustainability, and equally, I believe we continue to do so. Building on this foundation, we persisted as a ministry in lobbying politicians up until the 15th meeting of cabinet,” Mundia motivated.
This resulted in a decision being made in 2025 to establish a drafting and public consultation process.
A committee was established from various government stakeholders who will have overlapping and intermingling interests within the realm of space science and technology. Many of these were present in the Khomas public stakeholder engagement.
According to MEIYSAC, Namibia has to establish its own laws in relation to the environment outside of the earth’s atmosphere.
DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT
According to the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the space environment is different from the planetary one that humans engage in daily.
Since a new environment will be engaged in, the draft bill indicates the establishment of the Namibia Space Agency.
During the session of engagement, the question of whether the current Space Science Council, which operates under the auspices of the National Commission on Research, Science & Technology (NCRST) would be absorbed into this new entity.
This was confirmed not to be the case by the chair of the council, Marius Mutorwa.
The agency’s first aim will be to regulate the space environment and related activities.
“The functions of the Agency are to coordinate and regulate space-related activities in the country. It will also implement the country’s space policy, the Namibia Space Strategy, the national space programme and any related programmes,” the bill describes.
The agency will also advise the government on the development of relevant laws to introduce the implementation of the national space programme.
“The Agency will also advise the government on the legislative and other measures necessary for implementation of the relevant conventions, treaties and agreements that the country is party to,” the bill also adds.
Namibia’s space agenda is outlined in the Namibia Space Science and Technology Policy of 2021 (NSSTP).
The country is part of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the International Telecommunication Constitution and Convention.
The country is also a member state to the International Telecommunication Union and the African Space Agency.
As a member state of the African Union, Namibia adheres to the established space framework by the AU, including key positions of the African Space Policy and African Space Strategy.
