Uganda to Launch Climate Camera Into Space - Musenero

The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Monica Musenero, has revealed that Uganda will this year deploy a space-based climate monitoring camera in a bid to strengthen the country's ability to predict floods, drought and other weather-related disasters.

Dr Musenero says the climate camera, dubbed 'ClimCam', is a joint project between Uganda, Kenya and Egypt and will be used to monitor environmental and climate conditions across East Africa.

"Uganda will join partner states and other partners that we have worked with to launch a space-based climate monitoring camera. The space climate camera known as ClimCam," Dr Musenero said in an interview.

She explained that the mission was selected under the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Airbus Access to Space for All programme after the three countries submitted a joint proposal.

"ClimCam is a project which we have worked on jointly with two sister African nations, Kenya and Egypt. We have been working on this for the past three years," she said.

The camera is expected to be transported to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a rocket before being installed on the Airbus Bartolomeo platform, where it will begin operations later this year.

"This project will deploy a climate monitoring camera on the International Space Station via the Airbus Bartolomeo platform and the Argus payload carrier," Dr Musenero said.

According to the minister, once activated, the camera will pass over East Africa several times each day, providing near real-time data to support climate monitoring and disaster preparedness.

"Immediately it will start being operational and will monitor climate conditions passing over East Africa at least four times a day and collecting data that we shall have direct access to," she said.

The system is expected to improve Uganda's ability to predict extreme weather patterns and strengthen early warning systems through artificial intelligence.

"It is expected to help us to monitor flooding before it actually floods, drought as it is approaching. It will help us to assess agriculture, disaster response and environmental management," Dr Musenero noted.

She added that the data collected from space will complement information from Uganda's existing ground weather stations and improve current forecasting tools.

"It is also going to work to help us through artificial intelligence to develop early warning tools which are currently in use but refine them such that we can be warned ahead of time," she said.

ClimCam is designed as a regional Earth-observation mission and forms part of growing cooperation among African countries in space science and technology.

The mission will provide high-resolution imagery and use onboard machine-learning systems to process climate data for use in agriculture, disaster response and environmental planning.

Uganda's planned deployment of the climate camera builds on the country's growing investment in space technology.

In November 2022, Uganda launched its first satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1, into low Earth orbit under the BIRDS-5 project in partnership with Japanese institutions and NASA.

The satellite, which is controlled from Uganda's ground station in Mpoma, Mukono District, supports weather forecasting, agricultural monitoring and disaster management.

The latest mission signals Uganda's intention to deepen its participation in space-based innovation as it seeks technological solutions to climate and development challenges.

The latest development comes barely a dayafter President Museveni challenged African leaders to invest more heavily in science and regional technological cooperation, warning that the continent risks being sidelined in the rapidly advancing global space race.

Speaking during the opening of the ruling NRM Parliamentary retreat at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi, Museveni referenced the ongoing Artemis II lunar mission as an example of how far global powers have advanced in scientific innovation.

Artemis II, NASA's first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in more than five decades, is currently nearing the end of its 10-day lunar journey after launching on April 1. The mission carried four astronauts around the moon in a major milestone for renewed human deep-space exploration.

Reacting to the mission, Mr Museveni said Africa must urgently strengthen scientific collaboration and integration if it is to avoid being left behind.

"One of the historical missions was to ensure that Africa is never again threatened or marginalised. However, when we got independence, people started relaxing," Museveni said.

He argued that deeper regional integration through the proposed East African Federation would help African states build the strategic capacity needed to compete globally in science, technology and security.

"We are supposed to have Uhuru na Umoja and create the East African Federation," he said.

The President added that political and scientific unity would give the region the strength to undertake advanced research and strategic projects.

"That is why we are for the political federation of East Africa. We don't want to fight other people, but we want to be able to go into the ocean and find out what is happening in there, and for security purposes," he said.

Drawing a sharp comparison between Africa's current position and developments in the United States, Museveni said the continent must wake up to the pace of scientific progress elsewhere.

"As we are speaking now, one of the satellites of the USA is going around the moon. For us, we are here in Kyankwanzi eating macaroni. This is very dangerous," he said.

This article originally appeared in Nile Post.