Kenya's First Satellite launched in US

dennis kibet 14:13 - 06 April 2018

Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma hailed the launch as a milestone in Kenya’s exploration into space.

Kenyas first satellite, developed by the University of Nairobi (UoN) in collaboration with the University of Rome has been launched into the International Space Station from Florida in the United States.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma hailed the launch as a milestone in Kenya’s exploration into space.

The satellite will be mainly to observe farming trends and monitor the coastline.

The University of Nairobi said the satellite will also be used to test technologies for the launch of a larger earth observation satellite in the future.

Elite space club

This satellite launch will make Kenya one of just six African countries to have sent satellites into space.

The other countries are South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and Ghana.

Kenya started its space programme in 2012. The country’s geographic position on the equator makes it ideal to launch satellites into geostationary and other orbits.