The Kenya Space Agency has announced a joint mission with regional partners to send a climate-monitoring payload to space, marking a significant step in Africa’s growing collaboration in space technology. Kenya, Uganda and Egypt are set to launch the Climate Camera (ClimCam) to the International Space Station on April 8 at approximately 3:51 p.m. East African Time.
The payload will be carried aboard a Cygnus NG-42 Mission launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch will be available to the public via a live stream, allowing space enthusiasts to follow the mission in real time.
ClimCam is the result of a collaboration between the Egyptian Space Agency, the Kenya Space Agency and the Uganda National Space Programme, representing a milestone in regional cooperation on space-based climate solutions. Once in orbit, the payload will be installed on the Airbus Bartolomeo platform attached to the European Columbus module of the ISS.
The instrument was assembled, integrated and tested at facilities in Cairo before undergoing final validation at Airbus facilities in Houston, ensuring it is ready for operational deployment in space.
Designed to deliver AI-powered, near real-time weather and climate data, ClimCam is expected to support improved disaster response, natural resource management, and climate resilience across East Africa. The system will help authorities monitor environmental threats such as floods and droughts while enabling more informed planning in agriculture, water management, and environmental protection.
The project was selected through a competitive process led by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space, highlighting its global relevance and innovation.
The launch comes as Kenya prepares to host a major international event focused on data, technology and space innovation. The combined Global Data Festival and Kenya Space Expo and Conference 2026 will take place in Nairobi from June 2 to June 5, bringing together experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore how emerging technologies can address global challenges.
Ayman Ahmed, Project Coordinator from the Egyptian Space Agency, said: “The ClimCam project is a unique opportunity offered by the UNOOSA & Airbus to install the first Camera system equipped with a Machine learning algorithm onboard the international space station. This project will have a significant impact on monitoring climate change effects in Eastern Africa. We realize that Climate change is having a growing impact in Africa, especially in the most vulnerable hardest, and contributing to food insecurity, and stress on water resources in east Africa as well. Having an imaging system at ISS allows us to monitor and see that effect in our home countries. We do realize the challenge of developing such a device to operate onboard the ISS with very critical and challenging design constraints. Egypt, Kenya, and Uganda are collaborating together for the success of this project. This project represents the first international cooperation between the three African countries in a consolidated consortium to face one of the most challenging threats the region ever faced.”
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