Kenya to launch first operational satellite next week
Monday, 03 April 2023 14:22Kenya will launch its first operational satellite next week in a landmark achievement for the country's space program, the government said on Monday.
Taifa-1, or Nation-1 in Swahili, is scheduled to be launched on April 10 aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
"The mission is an important milestone," the defense ministry and Kenya Space Agency said in a joint statement, adding that it would contribute significantly to the country's "budding space economy".
The observation satellite is "fully designed and developed" by Kenyan engineers and will be used to provide data on agriculture and food security, among other areas, the statement said.
Testing and manufacturing of the parts were done in collaboration with a Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer, it added.
An East African economic powerhouse, Kenya is suffering its worst drought in decades after five failed rain seasons.
The satellite launch will add to a push by African nations for scientific innovation and the development of space programs.
Egypt was the first African country to send a satellite into space in 1998.
In 2018, Kenya launched its first experimental nano-satellite from the International Space Station.
As of 2022, at least 13 African countries had manufactured 48 satellites, according to Space in Africa, a Nigeria-based firm that tracks African space programs.
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Monday, 03 April 2023 11:55
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Monday, 03 April 2023 10:10
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ESA's newly selected astronaut candidates of the class of 2022 arrived at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, on 3 April 2023 to begin their 12-month basic training.
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Monday, 03 April 2023 02:03
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Sunday, 02 April 2023 12:21
Italy's privacy watchdog said Friday it had blocked the controversial robot ChatGPT, saying the artificial intelligence app did not respect user data and could not verify users' age.
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