"It is extremely satisfactory," was the assessment of Maram Kairé, Director General of the Senegalese Agency for Space Studies (ASES), at the end of the 4 days dedicated to the second edition of Senegal Space Week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPbUt3OFp3g

This event took place from May 19th to 22nd at a local hotel. Under the theme "Geointelligence, Security and Defense: Space at the Service of Securing Our Territories," Senegal Space Week brought together global and African players in the space sector. Among these distinguished attendees was Allan Petre, an aerospace engineer who led a masterclass on the final day, focusing on innovation funding. At 26 years old, he is considered one of the youngest French people to have joined NASA. This achievement is also linked to Senegal, as Allan Petre is of Senegalese descent through his parents. During his presentation, he addressed astrophysical topics, revealing images of galaxies taken by the American space agency. Beyond its technical aspects in the grand scheme of things, the Franco-Senegalese man's presence was primarily aimed at motivating his young Senegalese brothers and sisters, who came in large numbers representing Senegalese engineering schools. "Be ambitious, always aim for the top. Never forget Senegal because we are all from here, and the goal is also to continue developing the space sector in the country," he told them.

This second edition of Senegal Space Week was a success, but the happiest of all was undoubtedly the project's organizer, Maram Kairé. "Holding an event over four days is a long time for some. But the public responded enthusiastically. This shows the interest in Senegal Space Week," he remarked. The enthusiasm wasn't limited to Senegalese citizens. The French ambassador, the US ambassador, the Rwandan ambassador, and the technical advisor to the Minister of African Integration and Foreign Affairs were all in attendance. "As the Minister of the Armed Forces said in his opening address, 'Senegal Space Week has become a key event on the national calendar.' We hope that future editions will be much bigger. The space sector is a driver of development," he added.