The much-anticipated launch of Taifa-1, Kenya’s first operational 3U Earth observation satellite has been called off for the fourth time.
The launch which was set for Friday was postponed 28 seconds before lift-off owing to bad weather.
The launch was put off for the fourth time due to high wind levels in space which might interfere with the rocket’s trajectory in landing in the right orbit.
The first launch of the satellite’s launch was to take place on April 11 at the Vandenberg Base in California, aboard a Falcon-9 rocket owned by Elon Musk’s Space X company.
It was however rescheduled to Friday due to unbalanced weather conditions.
Taifa-1’s launch has since been pushed to Saturday, April 15, at 9:44 am.
The Ksh. 50 million satellite was built by a team of nine Kenya Space Agency (KSA) engineers.
A Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer Endurosat AD supplied components of the satellite’s body.
Also Read: Kenya to Launch First Operational 3U Earth Observation Satellite in Collaboration with SpaceX
KSA’s objective of sending the satellite into space is to provide precise and timely earth observation satellite data to stakeholders in diverse fields of application including agriculture and food security.
At the same time, the mission seeks to “develop Kenya’s technical capacity across the entire value chain of space technology development and applications.”
Egypt was the first African country to send a satellite into space in 1998.
In 2018, Kenya launched its first experimental nanosatellite from the International Space Station.
As of 2022, at least 13 African countries had manufactured 48 satellites, according to Space in Africa. They include Ethiopia, Angola, South Africa, Sudan and others.
