5 years before Apollo 11, a landlocked African nation tried to send teenagers to the Moon to beat the US and USSR, but the failed mission was probably never about the space race at all

Edward Mukuka Nkoloso led Zambia's ambitious space program after independence. He trained teenage "Afronauts" using unconventional methods and homemade equipment. Nkoloso sought funding from international organizations and nations for his lunar ambitions. His program aimed to send cats to Mars and achieve spaceflight milestones. The Zambian Space Program ultimately faded due to a lack of financial support.

Raccontata daeconomictimes.indiatimes.com