Kenya's space agency holds satellite talks with MinoSpace, Emposat and Beihang in China

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) visited three Chinese space companies and Beihang University in China between 12 and 16 October to discuss access to satellite technology, space-ground communications and aerospace training.

The delegation was led by the agency's Director General, Brigadier Hillary Kipkosgey. It toured STAR.VISION's ground station, data centre and assembly, integration and test facilities in Shandong Province on 12 October. Kipkosgey met Kenya's Ambassador to China, Willy Bett, at the Kenyan Embassy in Beijing on 14 October, and the delegation visited Beihang University on 15 October.

At Beihang, Vice President Prof Zhao Weisheng told the delegation that nine Kenyan students were enrolled at the university in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including aerospace engineering. The university has a Centre for Space Studies accredited by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs for the Asia-Pacific region, and plans a Sino-Africa school in Morocco to serve as its African headquarters.

Kipkosgey called for closer cooperation between Beihang and KSA through aerospace studies centres. He also pledged support for a proposed alumni association for African students.

On 16 October the delegation toured the assembly, integration and testing facility of MinoSpace, a Beijing-based commercial company founded in 2017 that designs and manufactures satellites. It builds optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. A SAR satellite sends out its own microwave signal, so it can image the ground at night and through cloud. Kipkosgey met co-founder Huan Yiheng and other senior executives.

"The discussions focused on collaboration opportunities for enhancement of Kenya's National space capability," KSA said, as quoted by Capital FM. The talks covered capacity building, access to satellite data and the development of upstream and downstream capabilities.

The day before, the delegation visited Emposat Co. Ltd, which provides telemetry, tracking and command services for satellites, ground stations and integrated space-ground communication systems. Talks with its chairman and co-founder, Zhao Lei, explored cooperation to strengthen Kenya's national space capabilities. Zhao previously worked for 15 years at the China Academy of Space Technology, his profile on the Chinese investment platform 36Kr says.

At the embassy meeting, Kipkosgey briefed Bett on KSA's priorities and its work with Chinese firms including STAR.VISION, OrienSpace Rocket Manufacturing and Oriental Marine Spaceport Company. OrienSpace, founded in 2020, designs and builds launch rockets. The two men also discussed capacity building and cooperation with STAR.VISION on using artificial intelligence to process and analyse satellite data.

KSA's work with STAR.VISION began before this trip. Under the Spaceborne AI Algorithm Rideshare Programme, launched at the 2024 Kenya Space Expo and Conference in June 2024, 58 students from 14 Kenyan universities designed, tested and deployed artificial-intelligence algorithms for Earth observation on STAR.VISION's satellites, the African space industry site Space in Africa reported in July 2025. Three of them were selected for a space summer camp in China scheduled for 13 to 27 July 2025.

At the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye, which ended on 9 October, the Kenya Space Agency, along with the Egyptian and Brazilian space agencies, agreed partnerships with STAR.VISION, the newsletter China in Space reported on 10 October.

In Beijing, Bett said space technology had become a strategic domain for socioeconomic development and that Kenya needed to make use of its geostrategic location. He called for closer cooperation with China, which he described as a major player in the global space sector.