Libreville (the capital of Gabon, in central Africa) is hosting the fifth edition of the NewSpace Africa Conference, bringing together more than 200 companies from 65 countries involved in satellite manufacturing, launching, and commercialisation. The event — the first of its kind held in Central Africa — is organised by Space in Africa alongside the African Space Agency (AfSA) and Gabon's national space observation agency, AGEOS, and runs until 22 April. Participants acknowledged that the continent faces a significant lag in space development, with only around ten African countries currently operating their own satellites, even as the African space economy is projected to reach $35 billion by 2030.