Repurposing Satellite Dishes For Space Exploration

From: VOA

by- Mohammed Yusuf

“Telescopes are expensive to construct but its much easier to convert an existing facility like telecom dishes which are no longer used because of fiber optics.  With the arrival of fiber optics we no longer rely on satellite communication that much to transmit signals," Professor Paul Baki says.

Professor Paul Baki, head of pure and applied science at the Technical University of Kenya, he established a training program in basic space science at the university in 2004, with the help of the International Astronomical Union.

As part of the project, he and his colleagues are converting old satellite dishes, previously used for telecommunications, to work with the radio telescope.

“You combine signals from a number of these dishes and then with that you can be able to look up in space, identify an object of choice that you can use for positioning measurements on the surface of the earth," Baki said. "And this is very useful for surveying applications also for navigation of the aircraft.  So when we develop our potential and capacity in that area I think we shall have moved a step ahead in terms of tapping space technology for basic applications."

Baki says in addition to learning more about the universe, the project can also help with infrastructure development in Kenya, and will create jobs in the tech industry.

Scientists hope to expand the Kenyan space program to include the development of satellites that would be launched into orbit from a Kenya-based station.