Kenya’s First Operational Satellite Finally Delivered into Space

Kenya's first operational earth observation satellite Taifa-1 was on Saturday successfully launched into space after three failed attempts due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The satellite was delivered into orbit alongside 50 other space crafts aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket from Vandenberg Base in California, the United States. The historic launch was watched by millions online.

In a joint statement, the Defense Ministry and Kenya Space Agency (KSA) termed the launch as an important milestone that will contribute significantly to the country’s “budding space economy”.

The launch of the satellite was delayed three times this week in what Kenya Space Agency attributed to unfavorable upper-level wind conditions that would have affected the rocket’s flight trajectory. 

Taifa-1 was designed and built by a team of nine KSA engineers, including mechanical, aeronautical, space, and electronic engineers at a cost of Sh50 million. It is insured by Marsh Limited, a Space and Satellite insurance firm.

The team worked in collaboration with Endurosat AD, a Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer that supplied the parts of the satellite body.

The main mission of the satellite is to provide data for use in agriculture, food security, land management, and environmental monitoring.

Kenya sent its first experimental nano-satellite from the International Space Station in 2018 in collaboration with Japan. It was built by students from the University of Nairobi.

Egypt was the first African country to send a satellite into space in 1998.