The Future African Space Explorers STEM Academy (FASESA) and Boeing [NYSE: BA] marked the graduation of 2,626 students from the third annual “Pathways to Space” program. The initiative now spans Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and, for the first time, South Africa, and continues to grow a pipeline of future aerospace talent across the continent.
Henok Teferra Shawl, Boeing managing director for Africa, said: “By pairing students across the continent with distinguished industry mentors and real aerospace engineering challenges, we are helping build a homegrown talent pipeline that will power Africa’s contributions to the global space economy for decades to come”.
Sean Jacobs, FASESA managing director, added: “Pathways to Space is not only preparing students to pass examinations and earn qualifications, but also equipping them to solve real‑world challenges and make meaningful contributions to society. The program is already producing remarkable success stories. One of our learners was selected to participate in Mission ShakthiSAT, an inspiring international all‑women‑led lunar mission, while another designed a parabolic‑grid radio telescope —demonstrating the innovation, technical excellence, and problem‑solving capabilities the program is cultivating across Africa”.
Among this year’s graduates were 832 students from Ethiopia, 50 from Kenya, 431 from Nigeria, and 1,313 from South Africa. Across the five-month program, students worked through the fundamentals of astronautics, systems engineering, human factors, and materials science, applying what they learned through hands-on projects and a high-altitude balloon mission that helped build their data-analysis skills.
Students also had the chance to connect virtually with former astronauts and space professionals from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Final Frontier Design, and several leading universities — sessions that deepened their technical understanding and helped shape their career goals. Guest speakers included Professor Jeff Volosin, Chair of Astronautical and Space Engineering at Capitol Technology University in the U.S., and Dr. Andrew Abercromby, a biomedical engineer and former NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) aquanaut.
This year’s curriculum added a new element as well: a spacesuit design challenge in which students prototyped concepts and practiced problem-solving approaches modeled on real industry needs.
Angel Nduvho Tambani, a 16‑year‑old student from Dzata Secondary School in South Africa, said: “Pathways to Space has been an inspiring experience. It deepened my understanding of space science and engineering while developing my teamwork, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The program has strengthened my confidence and inspired me to dream bigger, showing that young people from any background can pursue careers in science and technology.”
Since launching in 2024, “Pathways to Space” has reached almost 3,500 students across Africa.
The program’s growth mirrors the broader expansion of Africa’s space sector, coordinated in part by the African Union’s African Space Agency. As governments and national space agencies across the continent scale up work in Earth observation, remote sensing, communications, and satellite services, the need for a steady pipeline of skilled young professionals continues to grow.
