Astronaut makes landing in Namibia

Namibia will celebrate World Space Week from 5 to 10 October, with European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Dr Matthias Maurer visiting the country to tour key scientific facilities and engage with students across multiple regions.

The German astronaut is participating as a representative of ESA at the invitation of the German Embassy in Windhoek, which organised his visit in collaboration with Namibia’s National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST).

World Space Week is an official United Nations initiative celebrated annually, with the theme for 2026 designated as 'Rocket Revolution'.

Maurer is set to engage with approximately 8 000 school learners in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Ongwediva, and Oshakati. The astronaut will also visit the Gobabeb Desert Research Station and the High Energy Stereoscopic System observatory, the Africa Millimetre Telescope currently under construction and the International Amateur Observatory (IAS).

“The overall aim of Dr Matthias Maurer’s visit to Namibia is to raise broad political and public awareness about the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space for the benefit and interest of all humankind, demonstrate its relevance for science, technology and research, and highlight the economic opportunities it can create for space-faring as well as not-yet-space-faring nations,” the German embassy said.

-Patricia van Rooi