Kenya-Italy Space Centre to be Reused for Satellite Launches
Italy’s Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, revealed that the Luigi Broglio Space Centre in Malindi, Kenya, will resume its role in launching Earth Observation satellites in a few years. Minister Adolfo announced this during a press conference in Milan on Sunday, 13th October, the eve of the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC). The centre has had a longstanding partnership with the Kenyan and Italian governments.
“The idea is to give this base a new, more ambitious mission and use it to launch low-orbit microsatellites for Earth observation, particularly for climate change phenomena such as desertification,” Adolfo Urso revealed. He also highlighted that the centre will be used to build capacity and train Kenyan students, industry experts and scientists. Urso further stated that the space centre’s relaunch, expected to take place in a few years, is a shared goal for both the Italian and Kenyan governments. This initiative will be part of Italy’s Mattei Plan, a development program to support African countries.
Adolfo Urso’s Visit to Kenya
The announcement comes after the Minister recently visited the Luigi Broglio Space Centre in early October. During this visit, he co-chaired the 2nd Council of Ministers Meeting with Kenya’s Defense Cabinet Secretary, Honourable Soipan Tuya. Additionally, they inaugurated the Luigi Broglio Space Museum, among the first of its kind in Africa. This underscores the progressive nature of the Kenya-Italy bilateral agreement regarding the Luigi Broglio Space Centre. It further reveals the importance of international collaboration in advancing Africa’s space development.
The centre’s relaunch would bolster Kenya’s space sector, giving it the advantage of having one of Africa’s spaceports. It would also provide the government and private sector with a more affordable and convenient option for launching satellites domestically. Consequently, this would generate benefits such as increased revenue and a competitive edge in the space industry.
Launches from the Luigi Broglio Space Centre
From 1964 until its last launch in 1988, the centre had 27 launches through its San-Marco launch platform. Its near-equatorial location and eastward-facing launch trajectory make it ideal for placing satellites into low-inclination orbits. Additionally, equatorial locations are ideal for launching rockets due to their rotational velocity, which reduces the energy and fuel required for launches. This allows more mass to be sent into orbit while saving on costs. These regions are particularly suited for missions targeting low-inclination orbits, such as geostationary orbits (GEO). Spaceports near the equator can directly launch GEO missions, and historically, over 70% of such launches have been from latitudes within 30 degrees of the equator. This places the centre as a pristine launch site for future missions.