Kenya Advances Space Science with TART Radio Telescope Installation

Kenya is making significant strides in space science, highlighted by a week-long workshop hosted by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) that brought together astronomers and researchers from top universities. The event, held in collaboration with the SARAO – South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, the Electronic Research Foundation of New Zealand, and Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA), introduced participants to the Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART)—a groundbreaking piece of equipment that enhances Kenya’s role in the field of radio astronomy.

The workshop took place at The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) and attracted 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).

With the installation of the TART network, Kenya has become the third country in Africa, after South Africa and Mauritius, to host this advanced technology. This positions the nation as a key player in space science on the continent. The TART network, a collection of low-cost radio telescopes, allows researchers and students to study astronomical phenomena in real time, significantly boosting space research capabilities in Africa.