The government announced on Monday that Kenya will launch its first functioning satellite the following week, marking a significant accomplishment for the nation’s space program.
On April 10, Taifa-1, also known as Nation-1 in Swahili, is expected to launch from the Californian Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
In a joint statement, the defense ministry and Kenya Space Agency referred to the mission as “an major milestone” and noted that it will have a substantial impact on the nation’s “budding space industry.”
According to the announcement, the observation satellite was “completely planned and produced” by Kenyan engineers and will be used to offer information on food security and agriculture, among other things.