United NationsOffice for Outer Space Affairs

1KUNS Team is delivering the CubeSat Credit: Mwangi

"We are very grateful for the award of the first UNOOSA-KiboCube sponsored opportunity for a non-space-faring to transport and deploy a 1U Cubesat from ISS using the JAXA Robot Arm. The success of the 1KUNS journey has served as the major catalyst for the growth and interest in space science in Kenya, and exploration of the emerging opportunities for utilizing space for peaceful services that can contribute positively to the growth of our economies. 1KUNS success has anchored the space science activities within the University of Nairobi with some recent milestones." Mwangi Mbuthia, Project Coordinator of 1KUNS.

AWARDS

Mission e-patches awarded to University of Nairobi

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KiboCUBE

The first satellite of Kenya, 1KUNS-PF has launched thanks to KiboCUBE. The initial goal of the team from the University of Nairobi was to design, develop, and operate a CubeSat-class satellite to test technologies it has developed for the future launch of a larger earth observation satellite and hoped to apply data acquired from its CubeSat to the monitoring of agriculture and coastal areas. 1KUNS-PF was deployed in orbit on 11 May 2018 and re-entered the atmosphere in June 2020.

About KiboCUBE

News

• The University of Nairobi, University of Arizona and Space Trust partner in Space Peace Mission 2030 (10 January 2022)
• The University of Nairobi wins Kenya Space Agency research grant (18 November 2021)
• Kenya Steps Into Space with First Satellite Launch (15 May 2018)
• Kenya's 1KUNS-PF CubeSat ready for launch by Japan (January 2018)
• The University of Nairobi Hands the First KiboCUBE CubeSat over to JAXA Under UNOOSA-JAXA KiboCUBE Programme (19 January 2018)

Activities

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Publications

• J. Mwangi Mbuthia, Heywood Ouma, 1KUNS-PF: 1st Kenyan University NanoSatellite-Precursor Flight
• Arena, Lorenzo; Agostini, Livio; Calisti, Luana; et al, A university Nanosatellite for student international cooperation through hands-on education
• F. Santoni, F. Piergentili, M.Mbuthia, S.Pirrotta, Italy-Kenya University Nano Satellite (IKUNS), The 4th UNISEC-Global Meeting - Kamchia, October 18-23, 2016
• John Kimani, Kenya's Micro-Satellite Program "1st Kenyan University Nanosatellite Precursor Flight" (1KUNS-PF), UN/IAF WS 30 September 2019
• Mwangi Mbuthia, Kenya's Venture into Outer Space Exploration, United Nations Expert Meeting on Human Space Technology, 5 December 2018 VIC, Vienna, Austria
• Vivian Otieno, Lorenzo Frezza, Armando Grossi, et al., 1KUNS-PF after one year of flight: new results for the IKUNS programme, IAC 2019, Washington D.C.
• Mutugi Kiruki, Nano-Satellite Platform for the University of Nairobi, BIRDS Project Newsletter - No. 72 page 33-43