Kenya's Space Ambitions

Sierra Kilo wrote:

koko wrote:This goes to Cylon and Sierra Kilo. The former started a post about need for a Kenyan space sat, the latter made very encouraging comments that enable me regain momentum at a time i was beginning to lose faith in a Kenyan satellite.

Guys, today I am in the process of completing my team that will work on getting Kenya's first educational satellite into space. Since I first posted a comment about this I've learned the following:

1. In space research, the idea is the capital, the rest are just details.
2. It takes a special kind of madness to move from theory to particals when it comes to gaining presence in space.
3. Don't argue endlessly, save the energy you'd expend in just doing it.
4. Believe in yourself - of course it helps a lot if you have guys like Cylon and Sierra Kilo to add fuel to your burning ambitions.

Cheers and keep the faith.

We are moving people!!!
Just the other day there was an article on TV about a guy from the Multimedia University who designed a drone and was able to operate it. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a few baby steps. Keep it up Koko!!

Sure, but these sort of things require support which is often lacking from government. Government should set aside funds for R&D to support such innovations.

timoh wrote:koko bro, wats the progress onthe satlite man and wat will be its capabilities? completion time? this abigone aiseee

Hi,

This is an update on the educational satellite mission by Science2030.

Unfortunately,
while we were working on this in an informal sense somebody saw the
potential and maliciously registered Science2030 as their company with
the government. We have therefore had to incorporate our company as
STEM-2030 Ltd.

Fortunately, The Government of Kenya's Space Science Policy and Space Science Bill 2012 is
to have a facility that is dedicated to civilian development issues, a
break from the tradition where countries first invest in space
technology for military purposes .

This
effectively means that all the effort that we have been putting over
the last three years will be of enormous benefit as we are running ahead
of the pack with a funding plan, an academic partner (Technical
University of Mombasa) and a technical assistance agreement with
InterOrbital Sytems (IOS) Inc in the US.

Additionally, we have
just gotten a Kenyan equity investor in South Africa who is willing to
acquire 30% of the venture in return for start-up capital that will
finance our first year of operations.

Our only challenge is
getting a space systems engineer within the executive committee since
these are simply not available here and we will have to bring in an
expensive expatriate probably from South Africa or Nigeria.

All in all we will be beginning work within the next three months.

So,
for all those who offered us encouragement keep visiting
www.science2030.com for updates which should be plenty within a short
time.

allquiry wrote:

timoh wrote:koko bro, wats the progress onthe satlite man and wat will be its capabilities? completion time? this abigone aiseee

Hi,

This is an update on the educational satellite mission by Science2030.

Unfortunately,
while we were working on this in an informal sense somebody saw the
potential and maliciously registered Science2030 as their company with
the government. We have therefore had to incorporate our company as
STEM-2030 Ltd.

Fortunately, The Government of Kenya's Space Science Policy and Space Science Bill 2012 is
to have a facility that is dedicated to civilian development issues, a
break from the tradition where countries first invest in space
technology for military purposes .

This
effectively means that all the effort that we have been putting over
the last three years will be of enormous benefit as we are running ahead
of the pack with a funding plan, an academic partner (Technical
University of Mombasa) and a technical assistance agreement with
InterOrbital Sytems (IOS) Inc in the US.

Additionally, we have
just gotten a Kenyan equity investor in South Africa who is willing to
acquire 30% of the venture in return for start-up capital that will
finance our first year of operations.

Our only challenge is
getting a space systems engineer within the executive committee since
these are simply not available here and we will have to bring in an
expensive expatriate probably from South Africa or Nigeria.

All in all we will be beginning work within the next three months.

So,
for all those who offered us encouragement keep visiting
www.science2030.com for updates which should be plenty within a short
time.

Sorry to hear somebody stole your name but not to worry since STEM 2030 ltd sounds like a proper name for a company that will be involved in space based systems.

Will the government( with a foreign investor) provide funds to build a proper space port on the Malindi mainland or the old spaceport will be brought back to life??? Since building a new one would be a attractive place for countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China etc who would love lo launch a satellite at where closets to the equator and the operation would practically pay itself.


Also its wonderful to see you found a willing investor who has a vision to help you guys grow to be a major player in east africa. On the scientist engineer try looking for a Indian or a foreign firm that will with you guys and the government to help you ease to the 2013 launch zone...


Have you guys launched any high altitude balloons to help you research its pretty easy these days...

Hi Cylon,

Glad to see you are still at it keeping awake on kenya space ambitions.

There is no indication that GoK will ever offer funding for our satellite because ours is a purely private space mission; We have our own unique fund-raising approach.

Broglio Space Port is shrouded in colonial-age agreements that mean that Kenya cannot really utilize it for our national benefit until new agreements are arrived at, which will take many years.  Indeed, the longer that drags the more value we will build into STEM-2030 so that we stay ahead of any other Kenyan space player. Kenya will probably not have a space port for quite some time and maybe the approach will be to re-negotiate with Italy so that our space payloads get some kind of subsidy that enables lower cost of launch on foreign rockets.

Launch delivery vehicles are a whole other aspect of this field and are governed by international conventions which restrict building and testing rockets since these tend to end up having dual-use capabilities; they can later be used for delivering warheads, something that scares the richer more advanced nations. In my opinion, it will probably be another 30 years before Kenya ever ventures into that sphere. Interestingly, one of the most expensive aspects of satellite business is launch since a simple 3U cubesat such as the one we are looking at costs about US$120,000/- when lofted into space using some of the rockets owned by foreign nations. Thus it comes as a nice approach that we are signing a Technical Assistance Agreement with InterOrbital systems Inc that will see them charge us an academic launch fees of about US$ 60,000/- for each of our launches in 2015, 2017 and 2019 if we source form them. It also helps that IOS's NEPTUNE-5 rocket is designed for launching educational loads. 

There is a Kenyan with satellite and orbital platforms training BUT he is in the military. We might be forced to negotiate with Department of Defense for his being attached to us as a Space Systems Engineer for project duration.

All in all it looks like we'll somehow be moving into operational phase within three months.

Cheers.

so since the launching will be done on aforeign delivery vehicle-rocket, where exactly will the launch be? our 'italy port' ama? and then since the launch is exactly to commemorate with our 50th jubilee....the launch will be before end of 2013, right? its an educational satellite, so can it facilitate GPS tech and accurate mapping?how powerful will be the lens?.....educate me please

Koko wrote:Hi Cylon,

Glad to see you are still at it keeping awake on kenya space ambitions.

There is no indication that GoK will ever offer funding for our satellite because ours is a purely private space mission; We have our own unique fund-raising approach.

Broglio Space Port is shrouded in colonial-age agreements that mean that Kenya cannot really utilize it for our national benefit until new agreements are arrived at, which will take many years. Indeed, the longer that drags the more value we will build into STEM-2030 so that we stay ahead of any other Kenyan space player. Kenya will probably not have a space port for quite some time and maybe the approach will be to re-negotiate with Italy so that our space payloads get some kind of subsidy that enables lower cost of launch on foreign rockets.

Launch delivery vehicles are a whole other aspect of this field and are governed by international conventions which restrict building and testing rockets since these tend to end up having dual-use capabilities; they can later be used for delivering warheads, something that scares the richer more advanced nations. In my opinion, it will probably be another 30 years before Kenya ever ventures into that sphere. Interestingly, one of the most expensive aspects of satellite business is launch since a simple 3U cubesat such as the one we are looking at costs about US$120,000/- when lofted into space using some of the rockets owned by foreign nations. Thus it comes as a nice approach that we are signing a Technical Assistance Agreement with InterOrbital systems Inc that will see them charge us an academic launch fees of about US$ 60,000/- for each of our launches in 2015, 2017 and 2019 if we source form them. It also helps that IOS's NEPTUNE-5 rocket is designed for launching educational loads.

There is a Kenyan with satellite and orbital platforms training BUT he is in the military. We might be forced to negotiate with Department of Defense for his being attached to us as a Space Systems Engineer for project duration.

All in all it looks like we'll somehow be moving into operational phase within three months.

Cheers.

If the government isn't gonna offer any support have you tried to get a kenyan communication company or a college to take interest to help you guys launch a cubestat into space??


The Broglio space port platform has been rendered useless there hasn't been a launch from that platform since the late 70's into early 80's and it has been sitting in the see with no use just rotting away. The most important component of the spaceport is the command center which rakes in millions for just monitoring satellites in space while collecting data from the various satellites it launched it took the government this long to realize that they were duped by signing the old contract but that is under review since the lease end this year i believe. The only option is for the government to fully purchase the facility from the Italians for a price of 20-80million dollars so Kenyan companies and the military can fully utilize the facility until a proper one is built on land for launching heavier payload.

Yes there are risking for countries sharing schematics of launch vehicles since they can be converetd into ICBM's.... But i will leave it up for you guys to develop a working rocket once we get more Kenyan engineers in this field..


BTW are you Koko or alliuiry or Kepler-Euler are you all the same persons or different people connect to the team??

Now this is a source of concern.

wrote:Chinese space debris hits Russian satellite, scientists say
By Melissa Gray, CNN
March 10, 2013 -- Updated 0303 GMT (1103 HKT) |
(CNN) -- A piece of space debris left over from a 2007 Chinese missile test collided with a Russian satellite earlier this year, rendering the satellite unusable, a researcher said Saturday.
The collision appears to have happened January 22. That's when it's thought a piece of the Feng Yun 1C weather satellite, which was destroyed in the 2007 missile test, accidentally hit the Russian satellite, said T.S. Kelso, a senior research astrodynamicist at the Center for Space Standards & Innovation.
The collision changed the orientation and orbit of the Russian satellite, which was being used in scientific experiments, Kelso said. It may have also damaged it.
"There has been a piece of debris catalogued by U.S. Strategic Command as a result of that collision," Kelso said. "That would suggest that at least a part of the satellite broke off because of the collision."...

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/09/tech/satellite-hit/index.html?eref=edition&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=cnni

A change in space news

Come out and vote for these young innovators....

https://www.airbus-fyi.com/medias/best-videos

Hi Readers,

You
might have noticed news late last month that Ecuador, South America's
fourth smallest nation had launched its first space satellite with
plenty of fanfare and even applause from government media. In fact the Ecuadorian governemnt was so fascinated that it paid for the launch costs aboard a Chinese rocket!!!

The satellite named NEE-01 Pegaso
("Pegasus") was a private project by The Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA),a
non-profit NGO with civilian operation.In other words it was similar to
what I am seeking financial support to undertake in Kenya since 2010.

Fortunately, the intention of Kenya's Space Science
Policy and Space Science Bill 2012 (now nearing completion) is
to have a facility that is dedicated to civilian development issues, a
break from the tradition where countries first invest in space
technology for military purposes. THUS, with an innovative funding
approach already developed by STEM 2030 Ltd and most of the basic
building blocks in place we just need the seed capital to get moving.

We are hoping to secure that within a couple of weeks.

The Naijjans have a military sat in low earth orbit,84 km high. Since 2011 thereabouts. Who can comment on the telemetry,booster engine,info transmission technology and local input?
Can you possibly piggy back  any ideas on this?

Now even the Ethiopians are set themselves on the race for a satellite in space when is our country going to join the space race. We should note the Indians space tech is significatly cheaper and we can use that to build our own systems.

Hi Everyone,

About a year ago I begun planning for an educational satellite promotion activity for Kenya. The objective was to sensitize Kenyans on the need for our nation to become a space-faring nation that is not left too far behind Nigeria, South Africa and Algeria.

Well, on 12th December 2013 as the nation woke up to its 50th Golden jubilee Independence commemoration STEM 2030 Ltd and its partners; The Kenya Meteorological Service, The National Space Secretariat and Cyber Trace Ltd launched a High Altitude Balloon (HAB) bearing a Kenyan flag into the stratosphere.

This link provides a video clip of the moment our HAB took to flight that cold rainy morning:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151967400848153&set=vb.544803152&type=2&theater



Our next plan is to run a 6-day nano-satellite awareness workshop in early March 2014 and introduce a cansat program in collaboration with the National Space Secretariat.

Allan
www.science2030.com

allquiry wrote:Hi Everyone,

About a year ago I begun planning for an educational satellite promotion activity for Kenya. The objective was to sensitize Kenyans on the need for our nation to become a space-faring nation that is not left too far behind Nigeria, South Africa and Algeria.

Well, on 12th December 2013 as the nation woke up to its 50th Golden jubilee Independence commemoration STEM 2030 Ltd and its partners; The Kenya Meteorological Service, The National Space Secretariat and Cyber Trace Ltd launched a High Altitude Balloon (HAB) bearing a Kenyan flag into the stratosphere.

This link provides a video clip of the moment our HAB took to flight that cold rainy morning:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151967400848153&set=vb.544803152&type=2&theater



Our next plan is to run a 6-day nano-satellite awareness workshop in early March 2014 and introduce a cansat program in collaboration with the National Space Secretariat.

Allan
www.science2030.com

Well that's a great start, did the ballon collect any data on the atmospheric pressure?? or any other useful data?

Any great work and i wish you guys good luck with the Cansat. In about a few months i'll also give a proposal to the government on how to make kenya the ideal place for space investments.

Hi All,

It has been two years and after launching our Kenya@50 HAB on 12th December we are looking at having a 6-day Small Satellite Forum & Workshop that will also be the launch pad for Kenya's Cnasat program for universities and colleges. Visit www.science2030.com and see updated information.

Allan. 

Watch Episode-1 of how we plan to implement the building blocks of our 7-year space program here


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftBxMcTZy9w&feature=youtu.be