The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) has said that Kenya’s Taifa-1 Satellite is set to develop technical capacity in value chain of space technology development and applications.
In a press release, the Ministry of defence said it will launch Taifa-1 Satellite on 8/9 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.
It will also provide data on natural resources management, disaster management, and environmental monitoring, among other applications.
The launch is a culmination of a KSA mission design and development of the satellite spanning twenty-four months.
Taifa-1 has been fully designed and developed by a team of Kenyan engineers.
The manufacturing of parts, testing and qualification were done in collaboration with EnduroSat AD, a Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer.
The Kenyan team underwent customized training on the space environment, orbital mechanics, space systems engineering, space operations and project management to be able to understand and design a mission that would survive the extreme space environment.
The project entailed research and development of the different components of satellite mission design, full satellite development cycle, in-orbit control, and data reception and processing.
The team spent three months to plan and determine the specific objectives, technical requirements, design specifications, cost analysis and documentation regimen for Taifa-1.
The Satelite will also provide precise and timely earth observation satellite data to stakeholders in the diverse fields of application including agriculture and food security, natural resources management, land and physical planning, and general environmental monitoring, among others.
Datasets from the 3U earth observation satellite will complement what is currently available from open source within the sector.
This data will improve efficiency and effectiveness among the stakeholders relying on space derived data-driven solutions and contribute to realization of sustainable development goals.
The Taifa-1 satellite mission is an important milestone for Kenya’s space programme and is expected to contribute significantly to spurring the growth of the satellite development, data analytics and processing, and applications development capabilities of Kenya’s budding space economy.
The successful launch and operation of the satellite will not only demonstrate Kenya’s technical capacity but also provide valuable data and information for various applications.
The development of higher capable systems requires significant investment in research and development, as well as the establishment of partnerships between government, academia, and industry.