Uganda completes developing first satellite in Japan

By Ben Musanje

10^th May 2022

Uganda has completed the manufacturing of its first satellite named PearAfricaSat-1 under the stewardship of Kyushu Institute of Technology- Kyutech in Japan.

This path of launching the first developed satellite into space for Uganda began in April 2020 by sending three graduate students in the names of Eng. Edgar Mujuni, Eng. Derrick Tebusweke and Eng. Bonny Omara to obtain training in satellite design, manufacturing and testing as part of the multinational program known as the BIRDS-5 project.

Dr. Monica Musenero, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation speaking at the Media Center in Kampala said that the satellite is to be handed over to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-JAXA today at Kyutech and thereafter it will be transported to the Agency’s headquarters for final tests.

Musenero says the satellite will later on May 18th, 2022 be handed over to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-NASA on May 18th, 2022 for transport to the International Space Station from where it will be launched into Low Earth Orbit, tentatively by August 2022.

Musenero says the main objective of developing this satellite is to offer specialized training on satellite development to Ugandan graduate engineers from mission conception or definition to satellite disposal, to establish Uganda’s first communication network and a laboratory space in the country.

The project, first announced in 2019, took major step forward in 2020 with approval of funding for a ground station at Mpoma in Mukono district.