A government of Kenya delegation led by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Patrick Mariru, will travel to the Vandenberg Space Force Station in California, USA, to witness the launch of Taifa-1 Satelite.

The launch will take place on April 8, 2023.

In a press release, the Ministry of Defence said the Kenya Space Agency wishes to invite partners and stakeholders to join in marking this important milestone.

Kenyans were also called upon to celebrate the Country’s moment of national pride and space heritage.

“We welcome collaborations that will promote the utilization of space technology and earth observation data. The collaborations should also catalyze sharing of knowledge and resources, and help to promote innovation and collaboration in the development of space technology in Kenya,” the Ministry said

The GoK delegation comprises representatives from various stakeholder ministries, departments and agencies.

At home, a public event to follow the launch will be convened by KSA at the University of Nairobi on Sunday, April 09, 2023 (US Saturday, April 08) with a select group of stakeholders.

KSA’s technical team will also be monitoring the Mission at the Nairobi Headquarters and Malindi Space Station.

A live link for media partners wishing to cover the event on live platforms will be provided on the KSA website and social media handles.

Journalists wishing to physically attend the events in California, USA, the University of Nairobi, the KSA HQ in Nairobi or Malindi (at their own cost) should request accreditation from the same address.

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) said that Kenya’s Taifa-1 Satellite is set to develop technical capacity in the value chain of space technology development and applications.

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.