Kenya is set to deploy its first locally made satellite into space on Friday.
The Nano-satellite prototype was developed by students and researchers from University of Nairobi (UoN) in partnership with in partnership with Japanese Space Agency (JAXA).
The Nano-satellite was handed to JAXA Tsukuba Space Centre in Japan in January this year in preparation for its deployment.
Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed according to UoN director of corporate affairs John Orindi, will lead a delegation to witness the event in Japan, reports Daily Nation.
The CS together with the Kenyan delegation will witness the deployment of the First Kenya University Nano Satellite-Precursor Flight (1KUNS-PF).
“The deployment ceremony will be done from Kibo Space Centre on May 11, 2018 at about 1pm Kenyan time. The Cabinet Secretary, Ambassador Amina Mohamed, will lead a powerful delegation comprising of government officials and university researchers to witness the event live,” Oridi said.
1KUNS-PF is the first CubeSat selected to be deployed from Kibo-the Japanese Experiment Module of International Space Station (ISS) according to UoN.
JAXA astronauts are on Monday expected to brief the media about the preparations ahead of the deployment on Friday. They will hold the briefing via video link from Japan.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and JAXA runs the KiboCube programme which developed the 10 centimetre cube satellite (CubeSat).