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Chinese Companies to Build Commercial Spaceport on the Horn of Africa
The Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group (HKATG) and a Shanghai-based Touchroad International Holdings Group have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of Djibouti to build a $1 billion commercial spaceport with seven launch pads and three rocket engine test facilities.
Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh met with company officials on Monday to discuss the planned Djiboutian Spaceport, which will be constructed in the northern Obock region near the entrance to the Red Sea. It would be the first orbital spaceport in Africa.
[...] HKATG and the Djiboutian government will manage the spaceport for a period of 30 years. The government will then take control over the facility.
Construction of the spaceport is expected to begin after the parties sign a formal agreement in March. The project is expected to take five years.
The Djiboutian government said the project will require the development of a port facility, a network of highways, and a power grid.
See also: Rocket Report: SpaceX reaches 'ludicrous' cadence; ABL explains RS1 failure
Previously:
A Small Secret Airstrip in Africa is the Future of America's Way of War
China Sends Troops to Djibouti Ahead of Establishment of its First Overseas Military Base
U.S. Complains That Chinese Military Personnel Are Injuring American Pilots With Lasers in Africa
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Saturday January 21 2023, @03:36PM (4 children)
it's not on the west coast of Africa.
My ducks are not in a row. I don't know where some of them are, and I'm pretty sure one of them is a turkey.
(Score: 3, Informative) by GloomMower on Saturday January 21 2023, @04:31PM (1 child)
What do you mean? It said Djibouti.
(Score: 1, Informative) by khallow on Saturday January 21 2023, @07:19PM
(Score: 2, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Saturday January 21 2023, @05:51PM (1 child)
Try Google Maps. Djibouti is a small speck on the east coast of Africa. It's probably bigger than the state of Delaware, but not by much. It's a convenient port from which to fight piracy in the gulf. https://maps-africa.blogspot.com/2012/05/east-africa-map-pictures.html [blogspot.com] It's also a good port for the US Navy to take on fuel, and spend an afternoon on the beach, drinking a few beers. It's not a good liberty port though - there's nothing there but a refugee camp. https://www.unhcr.org/djibouti.html [unhcr.org] Depressing place, really.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 21 2023, @06:36PM
That refugee camp will become a company town of immigrants. I doubt the locals know much about running a space port.
(Score: 2) by Improbus on Saturday January 21 2023, @07:09PM (2 children)
Assuming they actually actually launch a rocket who are the boosters going to land on? India? That should be interesting.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 21 2023, @07:58PM
The word you're looking for is Exciting. Death from above is the spice of life.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Sunday January 22 2023, @06:39AM
I doubt they'll ever get that far. Chinese companies will bring in Chinese workers to build Chinese stuff for other Chinese companies, and then the work will slow down to a crawl as funds dry up and the Djibouti government suddenly finds out it owes China $1B that it has no hope of repaying.
But which China is willing to forgive in exchange for monopoly mining rights, military bases, and unconditional voting support in the UN.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Saturday January 21 2023, @11:45PM (1 child)
That is the sound of my (bad) joke going over your heads.
China has a history of launching rockets who's booster stages have a high probability of, and have, landed on inland villages.
My ducks are not in a row. I don't know where some of them are, and I'm pretty sure one of them is a turkey.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Sunday January 22 2023, @02:25AM