Space programme of Kenya

The space programme of Kenya has been largely shaped by Kenya's equatorial latitude, and has basis of existed foreign infrastructure and experience. The development of the programme started in May 2012.

History

The first satellite launched from Kenya's soil was in 1970. The satellite, named Uhuru, was equipped to study celestial X-ray astronomy. Kenya was involved in the launching of the San Marco Malindi satellite. Discussions for a space center began in 1983, but stalled.[1]

Space center development

Estimated costs for the space center are Sh10 billion. The main goal of the space agency is to develop Earth observation satellites that can be used to monitor things from the weather to ongoing violence. The space center project is being driven by Dr. John Kimani, the lead scientist at the Ministry of Defence.[1]

Conditions

As one of only a handful of equatorial states, and because it is bordered to the east by the Indian Ocean, Kenya is ideally sited for a spaceport to efficiently launch satellites into geostationary and other orbits.[1]

The closest regional facility, and the only one ever active in East Africa, is the Italian-owned Broglio Space Centre (also known as San Marco) near the Kenyan coast. In 1962 the agreements between Italy and Kenya and between University of Rome La Sapienza and Royal Technical College (now University of Nairobi) were signed and prolonged later for using of Kenyan territorial waters and building of base camp for two main sea platforms of spaceport on Kenyan territory near Ngomeni and Ungwana Bay. Later for servicing of San Marco spaceport among other needs, a tracking station in the nearest Kenyan city of Malindi was created (and still operates) by Italy and ESA.

After end of operation of San Marco/Broglio space center by Italians, the Kenyan government attempted to found a mostly commercial national space programme based on retake of this spaceport and use of Malindi station but the idea caused economic and diplomatic troubles between Kenya and Italy and the idea was discarded.

Developments

In building a launchpad for modern rockets to be able to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, Kenya intends to involve other partners such as the Ukraine[2] that already produce launch vehicles for sea-platform Sea Launch spaceports. The Kenyan government offered Ukraine the right to develop the spaceport for launch of its own rockets and the facilities for assembly of satellites. The collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome has allowed to produce 1KUNS-PF,[3][4][5] the first Kenyan nano-satellite, consisting in a 1U CubeSat developed both by the University of Nairobi (the ex-Royal Technical College) and the S5Lab research team of the Italian University. The satellite was launched on the 11th of May 2018 from the International Space Station.

In fiction

In Andy Wiers novel Artemis Kenya achieves dominance in the Space launch industry due to its fuel-saving location on the equator and political changes made by the government in the book.[6]

See also

References
  1. Gisesa, Nyambega (June 27, 2015). "Kenya to Launch Space Centre". Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  2. "Kenya is interested in the launch of the Ukrainian launch vehicles | …". archive.is. 2013-04-19. Archived from the original on 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  3. "1KUNS, the first Kenyan cubesat". A.S.I. - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  4. Kimani, John (September 2017). "The First Kenya University NanoSatellite 1KUNS-PF: capacity building using the KiboCube launch opportunity" (PDF). United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
  5. University of Rome "La Sapienza": 1KUNS (November 2017). "Collaboration between Kenya and Italy: Space Activities" (PDF).
  6. "Kenya could be the heart of moon colonization, says 'The Martian' author Andy Weir — here's why". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-08-23.

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