UNIS/OS/599
30 July 2024

Joint team from Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire are winners for CubeSat deployment from the International Space Station

VIENNA, 30 July 2024 (United Nations Information Service) — The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have selected the winners of the 8th round of the KiboCUBE programme. This initiative, part of the United Nations/Japan Cooperation Programme on CubeSat Deployment, will see a joint team from the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology in Tanzania and the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny (INP-HB) in Côte d’Ivoire deploy their CubeSat from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” on the International Space Station (ISS).

Innovative Environmental and Biodiversity Project

The winning team from Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire will use the CubeSat to track GPS boundary beacons in game reserves and gather environmental data through sensors. This project aims to enhance biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation efforts, and advance the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

A Milestone for Emerging Space Nations

The KiboCUBE programme has already enabled five countries - Kenya, Guatemala, Mauritius, Moldova, and Indonesia – to become spacefaring nations and launch their own satellites; often these have served as catalysts for the creation of space agencies, drafting national law, and kick-starting space economies. This collaboration marks the first time Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire will deploy a satellite, further broadening the reach of space technology to emerging nations. 

Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of UNOOSA, underscored the importance of enabling access to space for all: “Building capacity in space science and technology is essential for sustainable development. The KiboCUBE programme, under the Access to Space for All initiative, embodies the joint mission of UNOOSA and JAXA to promote global development through space technology. I congratulate the winning team and look forward to turning their dreams into reality; I’m sure this is the start of something great for the space sectors in Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire.”

Masaki Shirakawa, Director of the JAXA JEM Utilization Center, said: “I am very pleased that the joint team from the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology of Tanzania and the INP-HB of Cote d’Ivoire has been selected to join the 8th round of the KiboCUBE programme and that JAXA, in cooperation with UNOOSA, will be part of the team effort to develop and deploy the first Tanzanian and Cote d’Ivoire satellite from the Kibo module on the ISS. It is exciting to see that KiboCUBE has developed into a sustainable programme contributing to the advancement of space technology in multiple space emerging nations. With the help of UNOOSA's extensive network across space emerging countries, we at JAXA are committed to fully use our technical competence and Kibo's unique capabilities for the development of space technology in countries that do not have launching capabilities.”

Preksedis M. Ndomba, Rector of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, said: “The Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology is honoured to be the awardee of the 8th round of KiboCUBE, as a result of stewardship of the Government of United Republic of Tanzania, in space technology advancement in Tanzania. We gratefully extend heartfelt gratitude to UNOOSA, JAXA and partners for exceptional support accorded to us and endorsing our mission of using space technology to benefit various sectors across Africa.” 

Moussa Abdoul-Kader Diaby, Director General of the INP-HB, said: “The INP-HB of Côte d'Ivoire is honoured to be the joint winner of the 8th round of the KiboCUBE programme, with the DIT of Tanzania. We thank UNOOSA and JAXA for the opportunity to build our space capacity through this programme. The collaboration with Tanzania reflects the African Union's vision of promoting capacity building in space technology through collaborative efforts. We are committed to providing the resources needed to succeed.” 

For more information, please visit: 

Access to Space for All initiative: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/access2space4all/index.html

KiboCUBE: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/access2space4all/KiboCUBE/KiboCUBE_Index.html

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For more information, please contact:

Access to Space for All initiative Team

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

Email: unoosa-access-to-space@un.org