On Saturday, the inaugural Kenyan satellite was successfully launched into orbit by a SpaceX rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, as per footage released by the American space conglomerate.
Due to inclement weather conditions, the launch, which was originally slated for Monday night in the United States, had been pushed back multiple times throughout the week.
At 06:48 GMT on Saturday, a Falcon-9 rocket from SpaceX blasted off from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying the Kenyan satellite with it.
Crafted and engineered by a squad of Kenyan scientists, the satellite is poised to furnish crucial information on agriculture and environmental tracking in Kenya. This data will prove to be of immense value for the future of the East African nation, which is currently grappling with a severe drought.
In a combined statement released last week, the Kenyan Ministry of Defense and the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) hailed this achievement as a “significant milestone” that is bound to bolster “Kenya’s burgeoning space economy.”
As of 2022, more than 50 African satellites have been sent into space, according to Space in Africa, a Nigerian company that tracks African space programs.