Ministry of Defence, Kenya Space Agency, UON invite public to witness Launch of Taifa-1 Satellite
The Ministry of Defence , Kenya Space Agency and the University of Nairobi have invited Kenyans to witness the launch of launch of Taifa -1 Satelite.
The public event has been scheduled for Tuesday 11TH April between 8 am and 11 am.
The Ministry of Defence also called on Kenyans to celebrate the Country’s moment of national pride and space heritage
In a press release, the Ministry of defence said it will launch Taifa-1 Satellite today April 2023 by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) aboard Falcon-9 Rocket from Vandenberg Base, California, USA.
The Ministry said Taifa-1 Sat, Kenya’s first operational 3U Earth Observation satellite will provide timely and regular satellite data for decision support to agriculture and food security.
“We welcome collaborations that will promote the utilization of space technology and earth observation data. The collaborations should also catalyze sharing of knowledge and resources, and help to promote innovation and collaboration in the development of space technology in Kenya,” the Ministry said.
A government of Kenya delegation led by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Patrick Mariru, travelled to the Vandenberg Space Force Station in California, USA, to witness the launch of Taifa-1 Sat.
The GoK delegation comprises representatives from various stakeholder ministries, departments and agencies.
A public event will follow the launch and will be convened by KSA at the University of Nairobi on Sunday April 09, 2023 (US Saturday, April 08) with a select group of stakeholders.
KSA’s technical team will also be monitoring the Mission at the Nairobi Headquarters and Malindi Space Station.
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) said that Kenya’s Taifa-1 Satellite is set to develop technical capacity in value chain of space technology development and applications. The Ministry said Taifa-1 Sat, Kenya’s first operational 3U Earth Observation satellite will provide timely and regular satellite data for decision support to agriculture and food security.
It will also provide data on natural resources management, disaster management, and environmental monitoring, among other applications.
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