Written By Lisa Murimi
Kenya has solidified its status as a leader in African space science by becoming the fourth country globally to acquire the advanced Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) technology.
This low-cost, open-source array radio telescope is now only found in Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mauritius.
The TART is a specialized antenna and radio receiver designed to detect radio waves from astronomical sources such as planets, stars, and galaxies.
Uniquely capable of continuously monitoring the entire sky, the telescope identifies moving objects known as transient phenomena, including satellites, near-Earth objects, and high-energy cosmic rays.
Last week, the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) held a workshop at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in Nairobi, bringing together astronomers and researchers from leading universities, including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), the University of Nairobi (UoN), and Kenyatta University (KU).
The workshop, in collaboration with international partners such as the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and New Zealand’s Electronic Research Foundation, enhanced Kenya’s proficiency in radio astronomy.
KSA plans to further its space ambitions by establishing an Astronomical Observatory in Kitui later this year, positioning Kenya as a pivotal player in Africa’s burgeoning space industry.
This initiative is expected to boost the country’s capacity for space monitoring and climate research, advancing the continent’s development through space science.
