science 9 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Launches Homegrown ClimCam for Climate Monitoring into Space
Uganda is set to launch its indigenously developed ClimCam climate monitoring camera to the International Space Station today, enabling four daily passes over East Africa for precise weather imaging and data collection. The joint project with Kenya and Egypt will enhance predictions for floods, droughts, agriculture, and disasters using AI-driven early warning systems. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-to-launch-climate-monitoring-camera-into-space-today-5418626
Uganda will launch ClimCam, a climate monitoring camera built domestically, into space today, Friday, April 10. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza announced this during the launch of this year’s Science Week.
The camera will be stationed on the International Space Station via the Airbus Bartolomeo platform. Starting in August, it will orbit over Uganda, Kenya, and other East African nations four times daily, capturing high-resolution satellite images focused on weather patterns.
Dr. Musenero stated that ClimCam will immediately become operational, providing direct access to climate data. It aims to predict flooding and droughts in advance, while supporting agriculture, disaster response, and environmental management through AI-enhanced forecasting.
This initiative is a collaboration between Uganda, Kenya, and Egypt, selected under the UNOOSA and Airbus Access to Space for All programme after a joint proposal. The project, developed over three years, complements Uganda’s ground weather stations and refines early warning tools.
Uganda builds on its space achievements, including the 2022 launch of PearlAfricaSat-1, managed from the Mpoma ground station in Mukono District for weather, agriculture, and disaster monitoring.
The announcement follows President Museveni’s recent call for African leaders to boost science and tech investments, cautioning against falling behind in the global space race amid missions like NASA’s Artemis II.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)