Kenya deploys first earth observation satellite into space
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/04/2023 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s first earth observation satellite was launched into space Saturday after two aborted attempts earlier in the week.
The African country’s Taifa-1 was among the satellites on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The rocket’s launch had to be scrubbed twice previously due to bad weather.
Kenya’s satellite will fly over the country every four days and gather data for agriculture, land and environment monitoring, according to the Kenya Space Agency.
Data from the satellite is expected in the coming months, and the agency has set up a team of analysts. It said says the information will be distributed free to government agencies and to private companies for a reasonable fee.
The satellite was developed and designed by Kenyans but manufactured at Endurosat in Bulgaria at a total cost of 50 million Kenyan shillings ($371,000).
Kenyans were eager to watch the Falcon 9’s launch online. Some described having the Taifa-1 enter orbit as a moment of national pride.
The country launched an experimental nanosatellite that lifted from the International Space Station in 2018.
As of the end of 2022, 14 African countries had launched a total of 52 satellites, according to consulting firm Space Hubs Africa.