One by one, the satellites – each of them encrusted with a hodge-podge of solar panels and other gizmos – detached from their mothership.

They had blasted off from Earth just an hour earlier, on 16 August. The 116 satellites onboard the launch vehicle were mostly designed and built by Western nations and businesses – but one of them was different.

It was the first such spacecraft ever developed by the African country of Senegal.

A small CubeSat called GaindeSAT-1A, it will provide earth observation and telecommunications services. Senegal’s president called it a big step towards “technological sovereignty”.

The cost of launching a satellite has fallen significantly in recent years, says Kwaku Sumah, founder and managing director at Spacehubs Africa, a space consultancy.

“That reduction in cost has opened the market up,” he adds. “These smaller nations… now have the opportunity to get involved.”