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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Chinese Companies to Build Commercial Spaceport on the Horn of Africa [parabolicarc.com]

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 [presidence.dj] 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 [arstechnica.com]

Previously: A Small Secret Airstrip in Africa is the Future of America's Way of War [soylentnews.org]
China Sends Troops to Djibouti Ahead of Establishment of its First Overseas Military Base [soylentnews.org]
U.S. Complains That Chinese Military Personnel Are Injuring American Pilots With Lasers in Africa [soylentnews.org]

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