Let’s explore Maram Kaïré, a passionate astronomer who is helping Senegal explore space. As the head of the Senegalese Space Studies Agency, he is opening new doors for our country in the starry sky.
Since he was little, Maram Kaïré has loved looking at the stars. At the age of 12, after the Challenger shuttle accident, he fell in love with astronomy. Even though there wasn’t much equipment in Senegal, at 14 he built his own telescope! Then he founded the Senegalese Astronomy Association to inspire young people like you.
NASA, a big space agency, noticed his work and asked him to help with a special mission beyond Pluto. In 2018, he successfully completed a mission for the New Horizons probe, which impressed the whole world.
Maram Kaïré convinced the President of Senegal to create the Senegalese Space Studies Agency in 2023. Now, he’s working on Senegal’s first satellite and wants to launch several more satellites soon! He also has a plan to create a ‘Senegal Space Valley’, a city dedicated to space like Toulouse in France or Florida in the United States.
He thinks space is very important for Africa. Satellites can help in many areas like agriculture, health, and security. Maram Kaïré wants African children to dream of becoming astronauts or space scientists too. That’s why he works hard and Senegal is very proud of him!