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How important is space travel for Africa?

鈥淭he effect of space on the country is immeasurable.鈥 Alan speaks to Sara Sabry, who was the first African woman in space.

"If not now, then when? And if you don鈥檛 do it, who else will?鈥

Those are the two questions Sara Sabry suggests all woman ask themselves when they鈥檙e thinking through a big move鈥 and finding they don鈥檛 have the confidence to follow it through.

And she should know. The Egyptian mechanical and biomedical engineer was the first African woman in space when she blasted off in Blue Origin鈥檚 New Shepherd rocket in 2022.

She鈥檚 the founder of Deep Space Initiative, an organisation with the mission to make space and the study of space more accessible鈥 and she dreams of one day being part of a community living on the moon and eventually 鈥榬etiring on Mars鈥.

But is space travel and research really something for Africa to invest in when there are so many other priorities?

Alan Kasujja hears her thoughts.

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19 minutes

Podcast