By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, 3 April 2026 - Kenya, Uganda, and Egypt are set to launch a Climate Camera (ClimCam) Payload to the International Space Station (ISS) next week.
In a statement on Friday, 3 April 2026, the Kenya Space Agency said that the payload is scheduled to be launched on Wednesday, 8 April 2026 at 3:51 PM East Africa Time (EAT), heading to the International Space Station (ISS).
The climcam was engineered through a collaboration between the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA), the Kenya Space Agency (KSA), and the Uganda National Space Program.
“On Wednesday 8 April 2026 at 3.51 East African Time, the Climate Camera (ClimCam) Payload is scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Cygnus NG-42 Mission of SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket,” KSA stated.
The climcam, which is an AI-powered Earth observation camera system, will enable high-resolution imaging of East Africa to monitor climate change impacts, supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The camera will provide near-real-time data to help researchers, conservationists, and policymakers track floods, droughts, and other climate-related disasters as well as monitor various ecosystems, including forests, savannas, lakes, and coastal areas.
With the ISS orbiting Earth every 90 minutes, ClimCam will ensure the extensive geographic coverage, which will include remote and inaccessible areas.
The data collected by the camera will be fundamental in developing and implementing effective climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
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The payload will be launched at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, onboard a Cygnus spacecraft mounted on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
According to the agency, once in the ISS, the climCam will be hosted on the Airbus Bartolomeo platform attached to the European Columbus module of the ISS.
The project was selected following a successful bid under an Announcement of Opportunity issued by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in partnership with Airbus Defence and Space, under the Access to Space for All initiative, according to KSA.
“The consortium of participating nations won the award to develop the payload following a successful submission in response to an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for utilising the Airbus Bartolomeo external platform on the ISS to host a payload,” the notice read.
Kenya, Uganda and Egypt to Launch a Climate Camera (ClimCam)
The payload is scheduled to be launched on Wednesday, 8 April 2026