Italy-led Space Center in Kenya Set to Resume Earth Observation Activities
Adolfo Urso, the Italian Minister responsible for Business and Made in Italy, observes attentively during a question-and-answer session in Rome’s lower house on September 11, 2024. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo – Grab your Licensing Rights.
Italy has plans to revive a once-dormant space center in Kenya for launching Earth observation satellites in the next few years, shared the nation’s industry minister on Sunday.
Urso stated, “We aim to breathe new life into this facility, launching low-orbit micro-satellites to monitor Earth, with a keen eye on climate challenges like desertification.” His comments preceded the International Astronautical Congress in Milan.
Adding educational value, Urso mentioned it would serve as a training ground for local students, industry wizards, and scientific folks.
Under the stewardship of ASI, Italy’s space agency, the Luigi Broglio Centre is located 30 km (or about 19 miles) from Malindi, Kenya. The center has been quiet since its last mission in 1988, although it made its debut back in the swinging ’60s.
Urso noted that revitalizing the center is a shared dream for both Italy and Kenya, fitting into Rome’s “Mattei Plan”—a strategy to aid African nations.
By Giulia Segreti, with edits by Frances Kerry
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring