Kenya’s first satellite launched at International Space Station

Kenya’s first Satellite, a Cube Satellite (CubeSat) has officially been launched into the International Space Station in Florida.

The launch occurred on Monday at 16:30 hrs (Eastern USA local time) and has been hailed as a milestone in Kenya’s exploration into space by CS Monica Juma.

"Kenya is very proud to be associated and involved through TICAD VI in the development of the Satellite. we hope this is only a beginning of many collaborations and initiatives for Kenya under the KiboCUBEprogramme,” CS Monica Said.

The Cube Satellite was developed by the University of Nairobi in collaboration with the University of Rome.

The selected team was first announced during the TICAD VI, as a beneficially of the first round of the KiboCUBE Programme.

Also read: How Nairobi innovation week official launch went down (photos)

A team from the University of Nairobi, handed over to JAXA the Satellite it had developed known as “First Kenya University Nano Satellite-Precursor Flight” (1KUNS-PF) at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Centre.

KiboCUBE is an initiative that offers educational and research institutions from developing countries, the opportunity to deploy cube satellites (CubeSats) from the Japanese Kibo module of the International Space Station (ISS).

The deployment of the satellite into space will take place late next month.