Danielle Wood visits Angola and speaks at national technology conference as part of cooperation with the national space agency, GGPEN

Danielle Wood, Director of Team Space Enabled, visits Angola for the third time as part of a long-term cooperation with the Angolan national space agency, called GGPEN. During this visit from June 12 to 16, Danielle speaks at AngoTIC, a major national conference on Information and Communication Technology. Danielle will speak on several panels, discussing the history of space activity in Africa, applications of satellite technology for sustainable development, and the collaboration between MIT and GGPEN.

As noted by the organizers, "From 12–14 June 2023, the Angolan Government, through the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technologies, and Social Media (MINTTICS), will organize the Angolan ICT and Space Conference (ANGOTIC) at the Talatona Convention Center in Luanda, Angola. This conference aims to facilitate discussions on current and future ICT (Information and Communication Technology) matters at a global level. In addition, it seeks to promote knowledge exchange and encourage networking opportunities for government entities, exhibitors, and specialists in the field. ANGOTIC also intends to showcase innovative technologies and emerging trends within the sector. The event focuses on fostering dialogue surrounding ICT and space technologies, emphasizing the importance of these advancements in the present and future. With world-class speakers from the space industry, the conference will address important topics such as the African space strategy, emerging trends and business models within the space industry, applications of earth observation, and the development of space policies, laws, and regulations."

Danielle Wood leads a team that collaborates with the Angolan Space Agency, GGPEN, on a project funded by NASA to work on supporting drought management in the southern part of the country. NASA is funding the team to apply data from the SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) satellite which estimates soil moisture using microwave data. The US portion of the team includes Prof Wood, Prof Dara Entekhabi and Dr. Katlyn Turner at MIT; Prof Yusuke Kawayama at the University of Baltimore County; and the Blue Raster company. The project is funded by NASA's Water Resources Portfolio within the Applied Sciences Program under the NASA Earth Science Division.