Kenya’s first Earth observation satellite was launched on Saturday after two failed attempts earlier in the week.
The African nation’s Taifa-1 was among the satellites on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The rocket launch had to be cleared twice due to bad weather.
The Kenyan satellite will fly over the country every four days, collecting data for agriculture, land and environmental monitoring, according to the Kenya Space Agency.
Satellite data is expected in the coming months and the agency has formed a team of analysts.
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He said the information would be distributed free of charge to government agencies and private companies for a reasonable fee.
The satellite was developed and designed by Kenyans but manufactured by Endurosat in Bulgaria at a total cost of Ksh 50 million (US$371,000).
Kenyans were keen to watch the Falcon 9 launch online. Some have called Taif 1’s entry into orbit a moment of national pride.
The country launched an experimental nanosatellite launched from the International Space Station in 2018.
By the end of 2022, 14 African countries had launched a total of 52 satellites, according to consulting firm Space Hubs Africa.
