Kenya has cemented its position as a leader in African space science by becoming the fourth country in the world to acquire the cutting-edge Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) technology. This affordable, open-source array radio telescope is now exclusively available in Kenya, alongside New Zealand, South Africa, and Mauritius.

The Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) is a specialized antenna and radio receiver designed to capture radio waves from astronomical sources like planets, stars, and galaxies. What sets it apart is its ability to continuously monitor the entire sky, detecting transient phenomena such as satellites, near-Earth objects, and high-energy cosmic rays.

Last week, the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) hosted a workshop at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in Nairobi, gathering astronomers and researchers from leading institutions, 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.