![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaOne woman’s battle to push Africa’s space racePublished39 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsMorocco earthquake 2023Image source, Marie MakuateBy Marco OriuntoBBC AfricaCameroonian scientist Marie Makuate has been at the forefront of using information harvested by satellites to help save the lives of people on Earth in emergencies, but she argues the expense of the data should spur more African countries to launch their own space hardware.In the hours after the deadly earthquake struck central Morocco last September, the 32-year-old’s phone started buzzing.She was thousands of kilometres from the zone of destruction, but her skills analysing satellite images were vital.”I woke up hearing message notifications of my colleagues telling me that there had been a disaster in Morocco,” Ms Makuate tells the BBC from her base in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé.As a geospatial expert for the NGO Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, she creates maps to help emergency services navigate an unpredictable territory so that people in need can be reached quickly.It is a job that Ms Makuate says gives her purpose and motivation. “I was shocked to hear about the [Morocco] disaster, but then I thought that if I mapped as much infrastructure as possible, it would help other people save lives.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, September’s earthquake in Morocco destroyed villages and left more than 2,900 people deadLast September, her maps, derived from open-source, freely available images, became a lifeline for organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières operating in the devastated towns, which included Marrakesh.A map of the kind that Ms Makuate creates looks very different from the ones that most might be familiar with. It shows an updated, high-definition view of the territory to which she and the team she leads add potentially life-saving information. “The most important thing emergency services need to know when there is a disaster is: ‘Where is the road? where is the water? where’s a river or a [shopping] mall?'” Ms Makuate says.But due to the costs associated with launching and maintaining a satellite in orbit, the images that geospatial analysts rely on can be expensive, especially when they are required at short notice, as in the case of natural disasters.”When an emergency starts, I have to ask around our satellite partners to see who is offering the best-quality images for free.”Some satellite companies do offer free imaging for disaster-relief purposes, but help is often limited in scope and time. “For example in the case of Morocco, we had access to images of only a specific area, and after we were done, we could not access them any more.”Morocco does have its own satellites, but Ms Makuate makes the case that more African countries should be sending them into space and make their output more freely available.This is not just about emergencies. Satellite imagery can help, among other things, in boosting agriculture, analysing population changes and understanding what is happening to natural resources such as water.”If a country has its own satellite, it doesn’t have to pay for the images,” says the young scientist.Satellite images can cost up to $25 (£20) per square kilometre – getting high-definition photographs of an area the size of Lagos, for example, would cost more than $80,000.Ms Makuate has been making her case for more pan-African collaboration in front of a group of industry specialists that came together this week in Angola’s capital, Luanda, for the NewSpace Africa Conference.The meeting gathered investors and experts in how space technology can help the continent. There is huge potential in the African space sector – it is expected to be worth more than $20bn by 2026, according to consultancy firm Space in Africa. But the vast majority of this money is coming from outside the continent – through companies who are selling services to Africans.”Imagine if we can just take 10% of that share and invest it in African companies,” says Dr Zolana João, the general manager of the Angolan National Space Programme. He, like Ms Makuate, believes that greater investment within the continent will better serve African governments, which are often hampered by a lack of reliable data.”If I can map very precisely and in quantified ways important sectors of the country, I can then relay this [data] to the government so they can reach better decision-making,” says Dr João.South Africa and Egypt are the African countries with the highest number of satellites in orbit – both with 13 each – according to consultancy firm Spacehubs Africa. By comparison, a 2022 survey published in Forbes magazine said the US had more than 3,400. South Africa uses its satellites to monitor the impact of mining activities as well as help provide consistent internet and telephone coverage, according to Ms Makuate.In the case of Egypt, investment in telecommunication satellites reflects the country’s position as a media powerhouse across the Arabic-speaking region.Investment aside, the most fundamental obstacle in the way of Africa’s space ambition is access to education.”That is our weakest link when it comes to implementing space programmes in Africa,” says Dr João.That is a task that Ms Makuate is ready to take on.In 2019, she took a master’s degree in geomatics from the African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology based in Nigeria’s Osun state.”In Cameroon there wasn’t this programme, so when I came back from Nigeria I wanted everyone to know about it,” Ms Makuate says.But attending the course also showed her how small the presence of African women in this scientific field was.”In a class of 35 we were three women, the year after they told me they had one or two women.”Image source, Marie MakuateImage caption, As part of her training work, Marie Makuate shows students how to use surveying equipmentIt was the spark that motivated her to found Geospatial Girls and Kids, an association that offers free professional training in geospatial science to young women in Cameroon and Ivory Coast.”It’s easier for us to be inspired by women than by men because when you see women on a panel, it inspires you to do the same next time.”At the end of the course, students receive a certificate and are connected to potential employers.Three of Ms Makuate’s students are now employed as geospatial analysts and data collectors.She says motivating her students can be hard, but also rewarding.”Students say I’m strict with them, but at the end of the training they are happy because I pushed them beyond their limits.”She wants to create the next generation of experts who can analyse satellite imagery, who she hopes will be able to work with data generated by equipment sent into space by African governments.This, she believes, would benefit everyone on the continent and fit in with her own personal mission.”Everything I do is for one purpose – impacting people’s lives,” Ms Makuate says.You may also be interested in:The Ethiopian scientist looking for water on the moonFrom badminton player to prize-winning Nasa scientistBefore and after pictures show Morocco quake ruinSatellite boom attracts technology giantsRelated TopicsCommunications satellitesMorocco earthquake 2023CameroonAerospaceAround the BBCAfrica Daily podcastFocus on Africa podcastTop StoriesThousands of Israelis rally to demand hostage dealPublished4 hours agoPM marks six months of Israel-Gaza war as UK sends Navy ship for aidPublished4 hours agoDozens of UK flights cancelled as Storm Kathleen sweeps inPublished5 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Gaza famine’ warning and Corrie ‘budgeting row’The eclipse’s 4-minute window into the Sun’s secretsWhere in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?7 lessons from my first series of University ChallengeThe singer-songwriters who are pop’s new breakout starsIndigenous deaths in custody haunt AustraliaSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?Path of darkness – scroll every mile of total eclipse’A game of Jenga’: Inside the perilous Baltimore bridge clean-upElsewhere on the BBCIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerBruce Lee as you’ve never seen him beforeTen defining pictures throw a unique lens onto an extraordinary lifeAttributioniPlayerAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerFrom Starman to film star…How did the silver screen inspire David Bowie?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Woman dies after stabbing in busy city centre2Actor Cole Brings Plenty found dead in Kansas3’Gaza famine’ warning and Corrie ‘budgeting row’4Are you happy to pay more to have your nails done?5Thousands of Israelis rally to demand hostage deal6Dozens of UK flights cancelled as storm sweeps in7Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?8Planes clip each other at Heathrow Airport9Myanmar army loses border town in another big defeat10PM marks six months since start of Israel-Gaza war](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/EB60/production/_133065206_scientist.jpg)
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaOne woman’s battle to push Africa’s space racePublished39 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsMorocco earthquake 2023Image source, Marie MakuateBy Marco OriuntoBBC AfricaCameroonian scientist Marie Makuate has been at the forefront of using information harvested by satellites to help save the lives of people on Earth in emergencies, but she argues the expense of the data should spur more African countries to launch their own space hardware.In the hours after the deadly earthquake struck central Morocco last September, the 32-year-old’s phone started buzzing.She was thousands of kilometres from the zone of destruction, but her skills analysing satellite images were vital.”I woke up hearing message notifications of my colleagues telling me that there had been a disaster in Morocco,” Ms Makuate tells the BBC from her base in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé.As a geospatial expert for the NGO Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, she creates maps to help emergency services navigate an unpredictable territory so that people in need can be reached quickly.It is a job that Ms Makuate says gives her purpose and motivation. “I was shocked to hear about the [Morocco] disaster, but then I thought that if I mapped as much infrastructure as possible, it would help other people save lives.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, September’s earthquake in Morocco destroyed villages and left more than 2,900 people deadLast September, her maps, derived from open-source, freely available images, became a lifeline for organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières operating in the devastated towns, which included Marrakesh.A map of the kind that Ms Makuate creates looks very different from the ones that most might be familiar with. It shows an updated, high-definition view of the territory to which she and the team she leads add potentially life-saving information. “The most important thing emergency services need to know when there is a disaster is: ‘Where is the road? where is the water? where’s a river or a [shopping] mall?'” Ms Makuate says.But due to the costs associated with launching and maintaining a satellite in orbit, the images that geospatial analysts rely on can be expensive, especially when they are required at short notice, as in the case of natural disasters.”When an emergency starts, I have to ask around our satellite partners to see who is offering the best-quality images for free.”Some satellite companies do offer free imaging for disaster-relief purposes, but help is often limited in scope and time. “For example in the case of Morocco, we had access to images of only a specific area, and after we were done, we could not access them any more.”Morocco does have its own satellites, but Ms Makuate makes the case that more African countries should be sending them into space and make their output more freely available.This is not just about emergencies. Satellite imagery can help, among other things, in boosting agriculture, analysing population changes and understanding what is happening to natural resources such as water.”If a country has its own satellite, it doesn’t have to pay for the images,” says the young scientist.Satellite images can cost up to $25 (£20) per square kilometre – getting high-definition photographs of an area the size of Lagos, for example, would cost more than $80,000.Ms Makuate has been making her case for more pan-African collaboration in front of a group of industry specialists that came together this week in Angola’s capital, Luanda, for the NewSpace Africa Conference.The meeting gathered investors and experts in how space technology can help the continent. There is huge potential in the African space sector – it is expected to be worth more than $20bn by 2026, according to consultancy firm Space in Africa. But the vast majority of this money is coming from outside the continent – through companies who are selling services to Africans.”Imagine if we can just take 10% of that share and invest it in African companies,” says Dr Zolana João, the general manager of the Angolan National Space Programme. He, like Ms Makuate, believes that greater investment within the continent will better serve African governments, which are often hampered by a lack of reliable data.”If I can map very precisely and in quantified ways important sectors of the country, I can then relay this [data] to the government so they can reach better decision-making,” says Dr João.South Africa and Egypt are the African countries with the highest number of satellites in orbit – both with 13 each – according to consultancy firm Spacehubs Africa. By comparison, a 2022 survey published in Forbes magazine said the US had more than 3,400. South Africa uses its satellites to monitor the impact of mining activities as well as help provide consistent internet and telephone coverage, according to Ms Makuate.In the case of Egypt, investment in telecommunication satellites reflects the country’s position as a media powerhouse across the Arabic-speaking region.Investment aside, the most fundamental obstacle in the way of Africa’s space ambition is access to education.”That is our weakest link when it comes to implementing space programmes in Africa,” says Dr João.That is a task that Ms Makuate is ready to take on.In 2019, she took a master’s degree in geomatics from the African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology based in Nigeria’s Osun state.”In Cameroon there wasn’t this programme, so when I came back from Nigeria I wanted everyone to know about it,” Ms Makuate says.But attending the course also showed her how small the presence of African women in this scientific field was.”In a class of 35 we were three women, the year after they told me they had one or two women.”Image source, Marie MakuateImage caption, As part of her training work, Marie Makuate shows students how to use surveying equipmentIt was the spark that motivated her to found Geospatial Girls and Kids, an association that offers free professional training in geospatial science to young women in Cameroon and Ivory Coast.”It’s easier for us to be inspired by women than by men because when you see women on a panel, it inspires you to do the same next time.”At the end of the course, students receive a certificate and are connected to potential employers.Three of Ms Makuate’s students are now employed as geospatial analysts and data collectors.She says motivating her students can be hard, but also rewarding.”Students say I’m strict with them, but at the end of the training they are happy because I pushed them beyond their limits.”She wants to create the next generation of experts who can analyse satellite imagery, who she hopes will be able to work with data generated by equipment sent into space by African governments.This, she believes, would benefit everyone on the continent and fit in with her own personal mission.”Everything I do is for one purpose – impacting people’s lives,” Ms Makuate says.You may also be interested in:The Ethiopian scientist looking for water on the moonFrom badminton player to prize-winning Nasa scientistBefore and after pictures show Morocco quake ruinSatellite boom attracts technology giantsRelated TopicsCommunications satellitesMorocco earthquake 2023CameroonAerospaceAround the BBCAfrica Daily podcastFocus on Africa podcastTop StoriesThousands of Israelis rally to demand hostage dealPublished4 hours agoPM marks six months of Israel-Gaza war as UK sends Navy ship for aidPublished4 hours agoDozens of UK flights cancelled as Storm Kathleen sweeps inPublished5 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Gaza famine’ warning and Corrie ‘budgeting row’The eclipse’s 4-minute window into the Sun’s secretsWhere in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?7 lessons from my first series of University ChallengeThe singer-songwriters who are pop’s new breakout starsIndigenous deaths in custody haunt AustraliaSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?Path of darkness – scroll every mile of total eclipse’A game of Jenga’: Inside the perilous Baltimore bridge clean-upElsewhere on the BBCIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerBruce Lee as you’ve never seen him beforeTen defining pictures throw a unique lens onto an extraordinary lifeAttributioniPlayerAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerFrom Starman to film star…How did the silver screen inspire David Bowie?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Woman dies after stabbing in busy city centre2Actor Cole Brings Plenty found dead in Kansas3’Gaza famine’ warning and Corrie ‘budgeting row’4Are you happy to pay more to have your nails done?5Thousands of Israelis rally to demand hostage deal6Dozens of UK flights cancelled as storm sweeps in7Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?8Planes clip each other at Heathrow Airport9Myanmar army loses border town in another big defeat10PM marks six months since start of Israel-Gaza war
[ad_1] Scientist Marie Makuate wants more African countries to have their own satellites orbiting Earth.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine war: Russian schoolbook urges teenagers to join the armyPublished53 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, Getty Images/BBCImage caption, The Russian Army in Defence of the Fatherland is aimed at 15-18 year-olds and promotes military service for anyone over 18By Maria KorenyukBBC Global Disinformation TeamA new Russian school textbook has been produced that distorts the history of the war against Ukraine and encourages students to join the army. It has been designed for a new subject entitled “Fundamentals of Security and Defence of the Motherland”.The lesson is compulsory for high school students aged 15 to 18 in Russia and occupied territories in Ukraine.It will be taught once a week from September, replacing a lesson known as “Fundamentals of Safe Living”.Former soldiers are expected to teach the new subject and Russians with a degree in pedagogy – the method and practice of teaching – who return from the war are already being offered free retraining courses to become teachers.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The new subject will be introduced at the start of the new school year across Russia and five Russian-occupied regions of UkraineThe first textbook for the new subject, called The Russian Army in Defence of the Fatherland, has been produced by leading Russian education publisher Enlightenment. Among its authors are two senior figures who work for the defence ministry and Kremlin newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta.Its 368 pages are filled with stories describing the “heroic achievements of Russian soldiers” from the 13th Century to the present day.”Dear colleagues, we all understand the importance of presenting information to our students from the perspective of [Russia],” publishing representative Olga Plechova told an online introductory session for teachers in January, which the BBC watched.”We cannot convey alternative viewpoints to the students. So this textbook will assist you in addressing children’s questions and providing accurate coverage of certain events.”The book’s authors praise Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and celebrate Soviet victories in the Great Patriotic War, as Russians refer to World War Two.They also acclaim the role of the Russian military in seizing Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014, which they term the “reunification of Crimea with Russia”.Image source, Getty Images/BBCImage caption, One of the textbook’s illustrations is captioned: “Sometimes, peace can only be restored with the help of tanks”The schoolbook also devotes a section laced with distorted history to explain Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, using the Kremlin term “special military operation”.”When there was a coup d’état in Kyiv in 2014, the new government initiated a crackdown on everything Russian,” the authors assert, before making a series of false claims.”Russian books were burned, monuments were destroyed, Russian songs and the Russian language itself were banned… ‘Russian blood’ cocktails were served in restaurants.” “Cities in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, where dissent against such policies existed, were bombarded by Nazi shells and rockets.”The authors state “it was Ukraine and Nato who planned to start the war”, bizarrely suggesting “a huge number of Ukrainian troops and armoured vehicles were concentrated at the borders”.In fact it was Russia that massed more than 100,000 troops both along its border with Ukraine and in Belarus, ostensibly for joint military exercises, only to launch its full invasion on 24 February 2022.Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko sums up the textbook as “all misinformation and lies”. The book goes on to claim falsely that the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, which was pounded for almost three months by Russian bombing, was destroyed during battles with “Nazis” and “foreign mercenaries”.Image source, Getty Images/BBCImage caption, The schoolbook says Mariupol Theatre was “ruined due to fighting and fire” – in reality a Russian air strike left dozens dead”Russia fights with integrity,” the authors insist. In several excerpts, they suggest Russia prioritises the safety of Ukrainian civilians and minimises destruction, while “Ukraine frequently targets civilian infrastructure”.During the winter of 2022-23, Russia destroyed more than 40% of Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure with more than 1,000 missile and drone attacks, according to Kyiv figures.As for Russian integrity, Mr Fesenko says there are plenty of examples proving exactly the opposite. “We all remember the tragedy in Bucha, where dozens of Ukrainian civilians were killed by Russians and women were reportedly raped.”Another section of the book starts with an in-depth overview of the structure of Russian Armed Forces and increasingly calls for over-18s to sign up for the army. Image source, Getty Images/BBCImage caption, The textbook links to an application form for signing up to the Russian armyThe textbook lists the required documents and links to the application form as well as nearby addresses for enlistment. It highlights military benefits like free medical care and insurance, attractive salary and three meals a day.Young men from occupied Ukrainian territories, such as Crimea and Donbas, who have been subject to aggressive propaganda for 10 years and have little opportunity to earn money, may be enticed by these economic bonuses, warns Olha Skrypnyk, head of a Crimean human rights group. The schoolbook may help increase the numbers joining the military, she believes: “So these children go to war and die.”Russia does not give details of its casualties in the war in Ukraine but in two years of war, at least 1,240 soldiers under the age of 20 were killed according to open-source information confirmed by the BBC’s Russian service. Image source, Telegram channel New MelitopolImage caption, Russian soldiers talk to children at a school in Melitopol in occupied UkraineRelated TopicsWar in UkraineChildrenRussiaPropagandaCrimeaFake NewsMoscow2014 Ukraine conflictVladimir PutinUkraineMore on this storyOccupied Ukraine forced to vote in Putin’s electionPublished12 hours agoThe Ukrainian sea drones hunting Russian warshipsPublished1 day agoRussia ‘struggling with supply of weapons’ for warPublished21 FebruaryTop StoriesLive. 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