Kenya announced that it would be launching its first-ever satellite, Taifa 1, into space on Friday, April 14, after a 3-day delay due to bad weather.
The launch is part of President William Ruto’s ambitious space program and is being undertaken by Kenya Space Agency (KSA) in collaboration with SpaceX which is owned by Elon Musk.
One of the engineers behind the ground-breaking event is Captain Claire Muhungi who is tasked with analysing the data relayed by Taifa 1.
Kenyans.co.ke compiled a profile of the decorated career who is crucial in ensuring Ruto’s space program succeeds.
Professional Background
Muhungi is a Geospatial Engineer at the KSA, a position she has held for eight years.
At the Agency, she also doubles up as the Deputy Director of the Earth Observation and Geo-Information Department.
She rose up to the position after stints as the Geographic Information System (GIS) data mapping and entry officer as well as a GIS technician and specialist.
Academic Background
The captain is an alumnus of the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) where she undertook a bachelor’s degree in Geospatial Engineering specialising in GIS and Remote Sensing.
Captain Muhungi has also made significant contributions to academia by publishing peer-reviewed academic articles.
Some of the major ones include; Africa Regional Data Cube Use – A Case of Kenya and Effects of Land Fragmentation on Land Use and Food Security in Kenya.
Muhungi’s Contributions Toward the Launch of Taifa 1
While appearing on Citizen TV's morning show on Wednesday, April 13, Muhungi revealed that she would be using data relayed from space by Taifa 1 to help solve some of Kenya’s socioeconomic issues.
“Earth observation is critical in solving some of the issues affecting the country like climate change and food security.
“We will be working to ensure that the satellite up there has a direct communication link with the ground station so that we can get real-time information,” she expounded on her role at KSA.
Muhungi’s expertise will be needed since the satellite does not capture images as they appear to the naked eye.
“There are processes that happen at the ground station involving data analysis that helps us get the real image,” Captain Muhungi explained why her team is indispensable.
