Yes, you read that right, did you even know we have a space agency? so if you’ve been thinking of studying something related to space management it seems it won’t go to waste. In collaboration with the University of Rome yours truly the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) will be sending off two mini-rockets from the Malindi space centre. The last time the KSA did something like this was in the 90s but now with their new and improved rockets they will be using high altitude balloons. The new exciting project was revealed yesterday during the opening of a space sector high-level engagement forum dubbed: ‘The space sector we want in Kenya’ attended by Defence Cabinet Secretary Monicah Juma, KSA chairman Major-General (Rtd) James Arwasa, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director-General Gilbert Kibe and other stakeholders. According to Mr Arwasa this new improvement is cheaper: “Use of high-altitude balloons as launch pads for mini-rockets and satellites reduces the cost of sending rockets into space” He noted that, “satellites and rockets have become smaller because of advances in technology. The project was meant to take off last year but unfortunately seven professors from the University of Rome had contracted COVID which slowed the project down.
