The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) Friday warned of a possible reentry of space debris over Kenyan airspace between April 19 and 20.
The agency said the object, identified as Norad ID 61909/2024-205R, is significant debris from a rocket body.
Its mass is unknown.
The debris is of “particular interest to Kenya” due to its predicted flight path over the eastern African region, including Kenya.
The agency noted the object is expected to move in a north-south direction from the North Eastern region to the South East towards Tanzania and beyond.
The reentry is predicted to occur on Saturday, April 19, at approximately 11:15 pm, with a margin of error of plus or minus 15 hours and 46 minutes.
This means the reentry window spans from Saturday, April 19, at 7:29 am to Sunday, April 20, at 3:01 pm.
KSA emphasised that while the debris is not expected to drop in Kenya, the public should remain alert.
“KSA, out of abundance of caution, wishes to advise members of the public to be vigilant and to be on the lookout for potential debris dropping from or flying through the sky within the specified period,” the statement read.
Members of the public are urged to report any space debris sightings or incidents to the nearest police station, national government administrative office, or military camp.
“We further urge members of the public to report promptly dropping of any space debris to the security agencies through the nearest police station, national government administrative office or military camp for necessary action.”
The Kenya Space Agency is a State Corporation established with the mandate to promote, coordinate and regulate space-related activities in Kenya.
This includes provision of advisories in the public interest on space situational awareness.
