Kenya Announces Plans To Build Spaceport For Satellite Launches
Kenya has taken formal measures toward developing a commercial spaceport, with the National Treasury issuing Terms of Reference for the project’s transaction advisory services.
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) is spearheading the plan, which aims to build the basis for the establishment of a satellite launch station in the Kipini area, located between Malindi and Lamu on Kenya’s coastline.
According to the paper dated December 16, 2025, the government is looking for an experienced transaction advisor.
Kenya Space Agency is seeking to procure a transaction advisor for the development of a satellite launch facility [space port] in the area between Malindi and Lamu through a Public-Private Partnership model.
— Pesa Wall (@PesaWall) December 17, 2025
There are 35 space ports in the world, with only 22 currently active. pic.twitter.com/e0ENEmei6h
The adviser will evaluate the technical, financial, legal, environmental, and social viability of establishing a commercial spaceport through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The choice is based on Kenya’s advantageous geographic location along the equator.
This provides important advantages for satellite launches, such as reduced fuel requirements, lower launch costs, and the potential to position satellites in equatorial and low-inclination orbits.
A spaceport is essentially a facility on Earth or another planet where a spacecraft can land or be supported.
According to records, Africa currently lacks a functioning spaceport, despite previous launches from Algeria and Kenya’s San Marco Equatorial Range near Malindi, which launched satellites and sounding rockets from 1964 to 1988.
As a result, satellites made in Africa must be carried abroad for launch, incurring high logistical and operational costs, a gap that the proposed Kenyan spaceport seeks to fill.
Under the plan, the transaction advisor will prepare a comprehensive feasibility study in line with the PPP Act, 2021.
This includes concept designs, launch vehicle options, infrastructure requirements, lifecycle cost estimates, and a phased implementation plan for the spaceport.
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The advisor will also evaluate market demand, perform market research with possible investors and launch operators, and recommend the best PPP structure for the project.
The project will require collaboration with several government departments, including the Ministry of Defence, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Kenya Maritime Authority, National Intelligence Service, and National Environmental Management Authority.
Saudi Arabia’s proposed commercial spaceport in Malindi will primarily be utilized for satellite launches and other space-related commercial operations.
It is planned to draw worldwide collaboration and private investors interested in satellite deployment, earth observation, telecommunications, climate monitoring, and scientific research.
Kenya Announces Plans To Build Spaceport For Satellite Launches
