Egypt launches ClimCam space project to track climate change from ISS

Egypt said on Saturday it successfully launched its ClimCam space camera aboard a Cygnus NG-24 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), in a project aimed at improving climate monitoring and disaster response across Africa.

The Egyptian Space Agency said the launch took place at 1:41 a.m. Cairo time, marking a milestone in international cooperation on space technology and environmental monitoring.

ClimCam will be installed on the Bartolomeo platform attached to the European Columbus module on the ISS, operated by Airbus, which hosts commercial and scientific payloads in low Earth orbit.

The system uses multispectral imaging supported by artificial intelligence to track environmental changes such as droughts and floods. It is expected to provide data to support disaster response, resource management and agricultural monitoring, particularly in East Africa.

The project is a joint initiative involving the Egyptian Space Agency, the Kenyan Space Agency, and Uganda’s national space programme, and was selected through an international competition organised by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

The Egyptian Space Agency said the mission reflects growing African cooperation in space science and technology, bringing together expertise in imaging, engineering and machine learning to support sustainable development applications.

ClimCam is expected to operate for one year aboard the ISS, delivering periodic imagery and data on climate-affected regions, the agency said.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English