Kenya Space Agency Says Another Debris Is Coming

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) has issued a warning about the potential re-entry of space debris over south-eastern Kenya, urging residents to remain vigilant.

The agency cited data from international space monitoring systems, indicating that the object, identified as Norad ID 61909/2024-205R, could descend between Saturday and Sunday.

“The re-entry is predicted to occur on Saturday 19 April 2025 at around 11:15 PM +/- 15 hours 46 minutes,” KSA said in a statement. “This means the re-entry through the earth’s atmosphere could occur within the window from 7:29 AM on Saturday to Sunday 3:01 PM.”

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The KSA stated that the debris, which is from a rocket body of unknown mass, is expected to burn up upon re-entry, posing minimal risk to people or property on the ground.

However, as a precaution, residents in the counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta, extending as far as North Eastern, have been urged to remain vigilant and report any sightings of unusual objects to local authorities, the army, or the KSA immediately.

Local officials have been instructed to disseminate the warning through community channels, particularly in rural areas where access to real-time updates may be limited.

The warning highlights the growing challenge of space debris, with thousands of defunct satellites, rocket stages, and other objects orbiting earth.

It follows a recent incident on December 30, 2024, when a massive piece of space debris, weighing approximately 500 kilograms and measuring 2.5 metres in diameter, crashed into Makuku Village in Makueni County.

Kenya, strategically located near the equator, has become an active player in space research, leveraging its position for satellite launches and astronomical observation.

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