Agency overview | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | KSA |
Formed | 7 March 2017 |
Type | Space agency |
Headquarters | Pitman House, Jakaya Kikwete Road |
Motto | Possibilities beyond our skies |
Chairman | Maj Gen (Rtd) Jofidha Otieno Makowenga |
Director General | Brigadier Hillary Kipkosgey |
Website | ksa.go.ke |
This article needs additional or more specific categories .(December 2023) |
The Kenya Space Agency(KSA) is a state corporation mandated to promote, coordinate and regulate space-related activities in the country. It was established in 2017 as the successor to the National Space Secretariat (NSS). [1]
In 1964, Kenya and Italy collaborated to establish a satellite launching and tracking base in Malindi, the Broglio Space Center. From 1967 to 1989 over 20 sounding rockets and 9 rockets were launched from the Broglio Space Center. The facility is currently jointly managed and operated through a collaborative and enduring partnership with the Italian Space Agency, also known as Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). The Malindi Space Centre currently provides Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) Services to a number of customers, including NASA, SpaceX, European Space Agency and CNES, among others.
Besides TT&C services, the Malindi Space Centre, through support from the Italian Space Agency, is also establishing a Centre for Earth Observation and Remote Sensing.
Until 2009 Kenya did not have a space programme of its own. That changed with the formal installation of the National Space Secretariat (NSS) under the wing of the Ministry for Defence. [2] The NSS facilitated the development of the Kenya Space Policy 2016, Kenya Space Strategy 2016 and the Kenya Space Agency Order 2017.
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) was established through Legal Notice No. 22 of 7th March 2017 with the mandate to promote, coordinate and regulate all Space-related activities in the country. The headquarters of the Agency is in Nairobi. The inaugural Board of Directors of the Agency was inaugurated by the Cabinet Secretary, Defence on 11th September 2018. The Executive Order No. 1 of 2023 placed the Agency under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
While there have been many launches by the Italian Space Agency using the Broglio Space Center until 1989, KSA launched its own satellites much later.
The 1KUNS-PF is a CubeSat and was the first Kenyan-owned satellite to be launched into space in 2018. [3]
The 1KUNS-PF was an experimental cubesat, with the main mission being to create awareness to the locals on the benefits of space uses. On board the cubesat, there were camera payloads, which were used to take mapping images of Kenya and other East Africa countries within the vicinity of its orbit. The cubesat was designed to have a lifespan of one year and its operations were within the UN space use mitigation measures. 1KUNS-PF deorbited in June 2020.
The TAIFA-1 satellite is an earth observation 3U CubeSat, and was launched on 14 April 2023 [4] together with Exolaunch aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9. It is the first satellite launched by KSA that was purely developed by Kenyan engineers with training provided by EnduroSat. [5] [4]
The word "taifa" is Swahili meaning "one nation". [6]
The Kenya Space Agency offers research grants to promote advancements in Space Science and Technology within local universities. Recent initiatives include grants for projects such as Small-Scale Crop Mapping using AI/ML and Nanosatellite Development, with funding such as Ksh 2.5 million (approximately USD 22,292) designated for these projects.
The Research Grant programme aims to catalyse and promote research in Space Science and Technology at Kenya’s local universities, as well as build the technical capacity in these disciplines, which will contribute towards Kenya’s socio-economic development by building linkages between academia and the industry.
The Kenya Space Expo and Conference is a biennial event organized by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) to promote the understanding and utilization of space science, technology, and applications for socio-economic development and societal benefits. The event serves as a platform to enhance awareness of the opportunities in space exploration and exploitation, fostering discussions on how space technologies can address societal challenges and contribute to national development.
The inaugural Kenya Space Expo and Conference was held from 15 to 17 June 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme "Leveraging Space Capabilities for National Development." The event has since established itself as a significant forum for engaging stakeholders in Africa's space sector, including government representatives, policymakers, academia, industry professionals, international organizations, and the general public. [7]
The second edition of the Kenya Space Expo and Conference was held from 18 to 20 June 2024 with the aim to further enhance awareness of the utility of space opportunities through the showcasing of successful use cases and innovations. Under the theme "Space Technologies for Societal Benefits," it underscored the potential of space technologies to address socio-economic challenges, support sustainable development, and drive national progress. [8]
The Expo and Conference features:
The event covers a wide range of thematic areas, including:
The Kenya Space Expo and Conference provides a unique opportunity for diverse participants to engage in conversations centered around utilizing space applications for societal benefits. It fosters collaboration, encourages innovation, and highlights the transformative potential of space technologies in areas such as agriculture, urban planning, disaster management, and natural resource management.
As a key event in the African space landscape, the Kenya Space Expo and Conference has become a platform for showcasing the continent's growing contributions to global space exploration and technology development. It aligns with the Kenya Space Agency’s mission to leverage space science and technology for national development while promoting regional and international partnerships.
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) undertakes several initiatives to nurture and support the growth of the country's indigenous space sector. Of particular focus is the need to nurture and grow research and expand opportunities in the space science sector in Kenya. In this regard, the Agency is involved in a number programmes that promote Geography, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (Geo-STEAM) at all levels of education and training.
The Space Club was founded in September 2020 as an educative programme established by the KSA Education and Outreach Department. It involves interactive scientific activities, competitions and learning sessions with learners in various learning institutions around the country with the aim of educating the next generation on GEO-STEAM and the significance of these subjects in supporting the space industry.
The club prioritized the following four areas that support the country's growing space sector:
The primary objective of Space Club is to educate, nurture and inspire learners with aspirations for the space ecosystem. By imparting knowledge on different elements pertaining to space, the club seeks to broaden and enhance the quality of education for learners and therefore allow them to understand and actively pursue the opportunities that the universe holds for them.
A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of 10 cm (3.9 in) cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than 2 kg (4.4 lb) per unit, and often use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their electronics and structure. CubeSats are deployed into orbit from the International Space Station, or launched as secondary payloads on a launch vehicle. As of December 2023, more than 2,300 CubeSats have been launched.
The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy. The agency cooperates with numerous national and international entities who are active in aerospace research and technology.
The Luigi Broglio Malindi Space Center (LBMSC) located near Malindi, Kenya, is an Italian Space Agency (ASI) Spaceport. It was named after its founder and Italian space pioneer Luigi Broglio. Developed in the 1960s through a partnership between the Sapienza University of Rome's Aerospace Research Centre and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the BSC served as a spaceport for the launch of both Italian and international satellites (1967–1988). The center comprises a main offshore launch site, known as the San Marco platform, as well as two secondary control platforms and a communications ground station on the mainland.
The Institute of Space Technology is a public university located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is focused on the study of astronomy, aerospace engineering, avionics engineering, Computer science , Artificial intelligence, Data science and astronautics.
The development of Ugandan space initiatives has been largely shaped by that country's position on the equator. Its history is marked by an early involvement in issues of space law, and in 2022 by the launch of its first satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1.
The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, commonly referred to as SUPARCO, is the national space agency of Pakistan.
The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) is South Africa's government agency responsible for the promotion and development of aeronautics and aerospace space research. It fosters cooperation in space-related activities and research in space science, seeks to advance scientific engineering through human capital, as well as the peaceful use of outer space, and supports the creation of an environment conducive to the industrial development of space technologies within the framework of national government.
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS) is the pioneering Egyptian institution in the field of satellite remote sensing and space sciences.
The Algerian Space Agency, was established on January 16, 2002 in Bouzareah, Algiers. The agency is in charge of the Algerian space program, and has flown five different satellites.
The space programme of Kenya has been largely shaped by Kenya's equatorial latitude, and has basis of existed foreign infrastructure and experience. The development of the programme started in May 2012.
PhoneSat is an ongoing NASA project of building nanosatellites using unmodified consumer-grade off-the-shelf smartphones and Arduino platform and launching them into Low Earth Orbit. This project is part of NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program and was started in 2009 at NASA Ames Research Center.
The Polish Space Agency is the space agency of Poland, administered by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. It is a member of the European Space Agency. The agency is focused on developing satellite networks and space technologies in Poland. It was established on 26 September 2014, and its headquarters are located in Gdańsk, Poland.
The UAE Space Agency (UAESA) is the space agency of the United Arab Emirates government responsible for the development of the country's space industry. It was created in 2014 and is responsible for developing and regulating the space sector in the UAE.
EQUULEUS is a nanosatellite of the 6U CubeSat format that will measure the distribution of plasma that surrounds the Earth (plasmasphere) to help scientists understand the radiation environment in that region. It will also demonstrate low-thrust trajectory control techniques, such as multiple lunar flybys, within the Earth-Moon region using water steam as propellant. The spacecraft was designed and developed jointly by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the University of Tokyo.
1KUNS-PF was the first Kenyan-owned satellite. The cubesat was developed and assembled by the University of Nairobi for the Kenya Space Agency, with technical support provided by Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency. The spacecraft was deployed from the International Space Station after being launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
ArmCosmos, commonly known as the Armenian Space Agency, is an Armenian private agency responsible for the development of Armenia's commercial space industry, coordinating domestic activities, identifying opportunities and facilitating international space engagement, on behalf of the Government of Armenia. Its headquarters are located in Yerevan, Armenia.
EnduroSat AD is a Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Sofia. It was founded in 2015 by Raycho Raychev. The company designs, builds, and operates CubeSats and Nanosatellites for commercial and scientific missions and is developing inter-satellite linking and data applications. EnduroSat was nominated as one of the top 5 small satellite start-ups.
The history of space in Africa is the history of space activity by or sent from Africa.
The Taifa-1satellite also capitalized as TAIFA-1 satellite, is a Kenyan earth observation 3U CubeSat, and was launched on 14 April 2023 into space together in a joint collaboration with Exolaunch aboard a SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. It is the first satellite launched by Kenya Space Agency that was purely developed by Kenyan engineers with an intensive training provided by EnduroSat. Although the satellite was developed and designed by Kenyan engineers, the manufacturing was solely done by EnduroSat.