Congratulations to the NASA team for the successful landing of the most daring robotic mission to Mars yet!
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Some may wonder how this successful landing of a robotic mission on Mars is relevant to Kenya…
The manner in which this remarkable technological achievement has captured the psyche of the American citizenry and won global admiration is astounding. Despite the ongoing domestic political campaigns which tend to be divisive and polarizing, economic slowdown etc; the populace has united behind this national achievement with a sense of pride and confidence. Consequently, this development serves as an additional example of how space technology milestones captivate and unite the masses generating a sense of national cohesiveness and camaraderie as I had earlier discussed in the post on “Why Kenya Needs Space Technology”.Â
The legacy of the conception, development and successful deployment (spanning more than decade prior to the landing) has already generated economic and technological returns many-folds the initial cost. The multiplicative returns on space technology investment is hence illustrated here for Kenya to follow. Moreover, the awaited scientific data from the instruments on-board the rover will immensely advance humanity’s understanding of the planet Mars. This knowledge is relevant across a wide sections of the Kenyan society.
I have merely scratched the surface on the relevance of the successful Martian landing by Curiosity rover to Kenya. Progressive unraveling of this topic will be explicit as I continue to explore the relevance of space-based technology to sustainable development in Kenya.
Kenya Space Sector Advocacy 