Kenya has cemented its position as an African powerhouse in space science with the introduction of a groundbreaking piece of equipment, making it the fourth country in the world to own the advanced telescope technology.
The low-cost, open-source array radio telescope called the Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) is only found in Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mauritius only.
A radio telescope is a specialised antenna and radio receiver designed to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky such as planets, stars, and galaxies.
Continuously monitoring the whole sky, the telescope is designed to identify moving objects known in space science as transient phenomena such as satellites, near-Earth objects, and high-energy cosmic rays. Additionally, the telescope was designed to provide a platform for the continued development of new techniques for imaging through algorithmic sequencing.
Last week, the Kenya Space Agency conducted a week-long workshop that brought together astronomers and researchers from top universities in Kenya.
It was conducted at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in Nairobi and brought in scholars, scientists, and engineers from institutions such as Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), the University of Nairobi (UoN), and Kenyatta University (KU).
According to the agency, the workshop increased Kenya's proficiency in radio astronomy by helping researchers, scientists, and students comprehend how the TART telescope operates.
Radio telescopes are the primary viewing instruments used in radio astronomy which investigates the radio frequencies radiated by celestial objects in space. Unlike optical telescopes which require light to be emitted, radio telescopes may be utilised both during the day and night.
In collaboration with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the Electronic Research Foundation of New Zealand, and Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA), the agency conducted the workshop that assembled astronomers and researchers in Kenyan Universities exposing them to the latest technology at their disposal.
In order to position Kenya as a leader in Africa's expanding space industry, KSA plans to create an Astronomical Observatory in Kitui later this year, expanding its efforts in developing talent and building space infrastructure.
It is expected that the country will gain from improved capacity to monitor space phenomena and climate research as the TART project expands, bringing the continent one step closer to realising the promise of space for development.
Mauritius received its first such telescope in April 2024 while South Africa already possesses two of them.
