Uganda is set to launch a space-based climate monitoring camera, ClimCam, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Friday, April 10, 2026, in a major milestone for the country’s space and climate science ambitions.
The ClimCam payload will be deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Airbus Bartolomeo platform as part of the UNOOSA–Airbus “Access to Space for All” programme, in a joint Uganda–Kenya–Egypt Earth observation collaboration.
The mission is designed to provide high-resolution climate data to support flood monitoring, drought assessment, agriculture planning, disaster response, and environmental management across Eastern Africa.
Regional space collaboration
According to project documentation, ClimCam will deliver approximately 10-metre resolution imagery and up to four orbital passes per day over Eastern Africa, complementing existing ground weather stations and machine-learning early warning systems.
The payload was developed through collaboration between the Uganda National Space Programme, the Kenya Space Agency, and the Egyptian Space Agency, following a successful bid under the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs initiative.
The consortium was selected under the UNOOSA–Airbus programme after submitting a proposal to host a payload on the ISS external Bartolomeo platform, attached to the European Columbus Module.
Ugandan engineers trained abroad
Government of Uganda funding supported specialised training for four engineers who contributed to the design and development of the ClimCam system at the Egyptian Space Agency.
The Ugandan engineering team includes: Gerald Kisangala, engineer and assistant engineer at Soroti University, Zaina Kalyankolo, engineer from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Rosemary Nalwanga, engineer specialising in embedded systems at Isimba University and Christopher Ongom Adoko, mechanical engineer at Kyambogo University.
The engineers were selected through a competitive public call, interviewed, and chosen as the best candidates for the programme.
“Selected through a public process”
Speaking on the selection process, project officials said the engineers were recruited transparently.
“They applied, were interviewed, came out as the best, and we are so happy that they have been selected,” officials noted, adding that the programme is intended to build national technical capacity in space systems engineering.
Strategic value for Uganda
The ClimCam mission is expected to strengthen Uganda’s environmental monitoring systems while advancing regional leadership in Earth observation technologies.
Officials say the project will also enhance data sovereignty, enabling African states to generate and control critical climate intelligence.
The system is further expected to complement Uganda’s existing early warning infrastructure, including sensor networks and AI-based predictive tools used for climate risk assessment.
Science Week framing
The launch aligns with Uganda’s broader science and innovation agenda being highlighted during National Science Week 2026 under the theme “STI Works: Powering Uganda to a USD 500 Billion Economy.”
Officials say the country is moving “from pathfinding to acceleration,” showcasing real-world technologies moving from research to operational deployment.
Once deployed, ClimCam will operate from the ISS, delivering near-real-time climate and environmental data to support decision-making across agriculture, disaster management, and natural resource planning in Eastern Africa.
The mission marks one of Uganda’s most advanced entries into space-enabled Earth observation, signaling a growing role in global scientific collaboration and high-tech innovation ecosystems.