Kenya will launch its first operational and earth observatory satellite (Taifa -1/Nation -1) on 10th April, designed and developed by the Kenyan engineers, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Testing and manufacturing was done in collaboration with a Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer, and the launch will be broadcasted live on the National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA) TV, which gives Kenya more brand recognition globally. The satellite will take three months from which it will start relaying images to its ground station in Kasarani, Nairobi, and greatly contribute to the country’s budding space economy. It will provide valuable data for use in improving the country’s agriculture, food security, mapping of natural resources and real time monitoring of space weather events and help the country to avert adverse conditions and disasters and among other areas. In addition, the data will help in the dissemination of geospatial data for urban planning by enabling the country to access timely and unprocessed satellite data. The launch will lend a hand in the ongoing push by African countries for scientific innovation and the development of space programmes. Kenya will join Egypt that launched its satellite into space in 1998, against the background information that by 2022, more than 48 satellites have been manufactured in Africa and more than 50 satellites have been launched from Africa though none are from the African soil.
There are eight advantages of the space exploration programmes that are beneficial to Kenya. First, it improves healthcare through space experiments to understand health problems on earth. Secondly, it leads to protection of the planet and environment through provision of data on climate change pollution. Thirdly, it leads to creation of scientific and technical jobs hence expanding ways through which the 900,000 youths that graduate annually in Kenya can be absorbed. Fourthly, it improves our use of products on earth like how weather forecasting and communication is undertaken on earth. Fifth, it enhances safety on earth through prediction of natural disasters and supports operationalization of emergency relief efforts. Sixth, it leads to scientific discoveries by challenging our long held assumptions and pushing our imagination beyond borders. Seventh, it sparks youth interests in STEM – sciences, technology and mathematics courses which are needed more for advancement; and eighth, it increases the global cooperation and partnerships as envisaged by SDGs goal seventeen Dr. Mutegi Giti, Urban management, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) &Environment specialist, mutegigiti@gmail.com, @danielgiti.
Dr. Daniel Mutegi Giti 