Kenya successfully launched its inaugural earth observation satellite using a SpaceX rocket from the United States, according to a live feed from Elon Musk’s company.
The satellite, created by a team of nine Kenyan engineers, is designed to gather environmental and agricultural data, such as flood, drought, and wildfire data, which will be employed by authorities to manage disasters and tackle food insecurity.
The Falcon 9 rocket, which was delayed three times due to unfavorable weather conditions, launched the Taifa-1 satellite from Vandenberg Base in California at approximately 0648 GMT. When the satellite was released approximately an hour and four minutes after the launch, SpaceX confirmed its separation.
The Kenya Space Agency’s Deputy Director of Navigation and Positioning, Capt. Alloyce Were, stated in a Reuters interview prior to the launch that the satellite’s capacity to capture images would aid in monitoring the challenges resulting from climate change, including forest and urbanisation changes.
The satellite, developed over a two-year period at a cost of 50 million Kenyan shillings ($372,000), with assistance from the Bulgarian aerospace firm Endurosat, is anticipated to operate for five years before disintegrating over a 20-year period as it enters the atmosphere and burns up. Additionally, under SpaceX’s rideshare initiative, the launch rocket carried 50 payloads from other countries, including Turkey.
