Promotion des sciences spatiales auprès des jeunes : L’astronaute français Thomas Pesquet en visite à l’ASES
This is a first for Senegal! The renowned French astronaut, Thomas Pesquet, paid an official visit to the headquarters of the Senegalese Agency for Space Studies (ASES), located in Almadies, Dakar. This visit, which took place on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, aimed to promote space science among young Senegalese people.
"To send a strong signal to young people who are wondering about careers in the space sector"
According to the Director General of the Senegalese Space Studies Agency (ASES), Mr. Maram Kaïré, Thomas Pesquet's first visit to the agency is a significant moment for raising awareness among young people about careers in the space sector. "It is indeed a significant moment, and a very meaningful one. When you have a country like Senegal, which is striving to become a spacefaring nation, where a space agency was created just three years ago, it fits perfectly into the dynamic of popularizing space science. And today, welcoming an ESA astronaut is very significant for us; it demonstrates our commitment to positioning our country among spacefaring nations, but also to sending a strong message to young people who are considering careers in the space sector, giving them this opportunity to interact with this astronaut and envision their future." "All of this is extremely important to us," Mr. Kaïré stressed, after introducing his team and the achievements of his agency to the famous French astronaut.
He adds: “On the other hand, it is also the political will, championed at the highest level by the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to promote the development of the space sector. So, this presence today honors us. It contributes to the national efforts we are currently undertaking, and we hope that this is the beginning of a very long and fruitful collaboration between Senegal and him.”
"Senegal has enormous potential."
After receiving a detailed presentation of ASES and its missions, Thomas Pesquet thanked Maram Kaïré for her warm welcome and Senegal in general. He believes Senegal has many strengths, particularly its highly educated and motivated youth. "I think Senegal has enormous potential in terms of well-educated, motivated young people, and it is this potential that ASES is trying to transform into a national ambition," said Thomas Pesquet, who expressed his amazement at the work done by ASES.
“Today, we came to meet these young people and explain to them why space is important for everyone, and to explain how we make a living from it every day, to talk a little about the careers that exist in the space sector (…). It was obvious to me to come to Senegal, and I am very happy that we managed to find the time. I also hope that this is a first visit. When I see the trajectory of ASES, it really looks more like a rocket launch, something that is slowly but surely rising. And I am sure that in a few years, its scale will be even greater,” he added.
During his stay in the Senegalese capital, the French astronaut will meet with young people on Thursday, July 23, to tell them that anything is possible. According to him, this path can be followed. "You just have to keep moving forward, make the right choices, the right options, and meet the right people," the renowned astronaut reassured them.
The tenth Frenchman to go into space for his Proxima mission
It's worth remembering that Thomas Pesquet is a French astronaut. After training as an aeronautical engineer at the Higher Institute of Aeronautics and Space (ISAE-SUPAERO) in Toulouse, he held various positions in the aerospace industry and at the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) before becoming an airline pilot in 2005. In May 2009, Thomas Pesquet was one of six candidates selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for its third group of astronauts. He is the tenth French astronaut to travel into space for his Proxima mission, launching on November 17, 2016, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard Soyuz MS-03, for a stay of more than six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), attracting significant media attention in France and making him a national celebrity.
