Time flies with great content! Renew in to keep enjoying all our premium content.
Prime
Kenya eyes satellite launch market with planned Tana River spaceport
The Luigi Broglio Space Centre near Malindi, a joint Italian-Kenyan spaceport, was developed in the 1960s in partnership with NASA. It hosted Italian and international satellite launches between 1967 and 1988 and included the offshore San Marco launch platform and a mainland ground station.
The government plans to construct a commercial spaceport in Kipini, Tana River County, as it seeks to develop satellite launch capabilities and expand Kenya’s domestic space economy.
The National Treasury is already scouting for a transaction adviser to support the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) in developing the proposed facility under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The adviser will be tasked with conducting a feasibility study across technical, financial, legal, environmental and social aspects of the project, including assessing potential launch technologies, site suitability, market demand for satellite launches, airspace integration, environmental impacts and the project’s economic viability.
“Conduct a business case analysis for a satellite launch facility in Kenya to determine if there is a credible basis for space launch from Kenya,” terms of reference shared with the Business Daily stated.
A spaceport, also known as a cosmodrome, is a facility for launching, landing, and servicing rockets and space vehicles. Commercial spaceports are multimillion-dollar centres for operating spacecraft for private companies, supporting the growing space tourism, satellite and research industries by providing spaceflights.
The adviser’s work will also involve preparing preliminary designs, phased development plans and cost estimates for the spaceport.
“Estimate the full life cycle costs of the project based on estimated construction costs, indicating proposed phasing of capital expenditure; maintenance, management, and operating costs taking into account current asset replacement and major maintenance schedules; and regulatory requirement costs,” the Treasury says.
Spaceports feature launch pads, control centres, assembly buildings, and runways, crucial for both government and growing commercial space travel, tourism and cargo.
A commercial port along the Kenyan coast would offer launch pads, mission control, fuel storage and logistics, aiming for airport-like operations for various commercial space missions, including small satellites and human spaceflight.
The Kipini area, between Malindi and Lamu, is where the Tana River empties into the Indian Ocean. Treasury says the project location was favoured for its equatorial position, east-facing coastline, and year-round launch-friendly weather.
Cost of spaceport
The cost of constructing a spaceport depends on scope, launch pads, control centres, infrastructure, land and technological complexity.
The UK is constructing a £2.6 million (about Sh450.7 million) spaceport near the coast of Scotland. Dubbed ‘Spaceport 1’, the facility is set to be the country’s only dedicated commercial suborbital launch site.
Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built spaceport specifically for commercial users, cost approximately $219 million (Sh28.2 trillion at current rates) to construct between 2009 and 2011.
There are an estimated 22 active spaceports and launch facilities worldwide that can launch satellites or spacecraft into sub-orbit, orbit and beyond.
In Africa, the San Marco Project, a joint Italian-Kenyan space facility near Malindi and the Diamant launch pad in Algeria, was used to conduct satellite rocket launches. Both are no longer active, and satellites in Africa are now transported outside the continent to be launched.
