The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and Exolaunch, a German provider of global launch, integration, deployment and in-space logistics services, announce a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) to fly the “Taifa-1” 3U small satellite to a sun-synchronous orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-7 mission in 2023.
Amongst many other regions in the world, East Africa has battled severe drought, wildfires, and natural disasters that have devastating impacts on the community. Taifa-1 (“One Nation” in Swahili), designed and developed by SayariLabs in partnership with Endurosat under the guidance of the KSA, will provide the critical multi-spectral imagery of Kenya needed for applications in agriculture, security, land use/land cover, forestry resources and disaster management to help combat these conditions.
The machine that will offer real-time data on agriculture, forest cover and mineral resources will go live in California on Monday, April 10. It will be aboard Elon Musk’s Space X Falcon 9 rocket.