14/10/2024
On 11th October 2024, the Uon Astronight team had the privilege of hosting Dr. Bastian Blankenburg for the October astronight, where he made a very insightful presentation on astrotourism with a focus on Kenya. He highlighted some of Kenya's activities in astronomy, such as the Kenya Space Agency Exposition that took place earlier in June, and the recent opening of a Space Museum in Malindi. He also discussed projects like the Nakuja project, which has been successfully developing solid fuel rockets, and astronomy communities such as Kenya Space Society, aimed at bringing together people interested in space.
Dr. Blankenburg shared some of his personal achievements, particularly in astrophotography. He emphasized that astrotourism in Kenya can thrive due to the country's advantageous geographic position referencing the success of other astrotourism efforts, such as the astrofarms in Chile, to illustrate the diversity within the field. Additionally, he mentioned the construction of a launchpad by the Kenya Space Agency as a potential attraction for astrotourism.
Towards the end of his presentation, he touched on the concept of space elevators, which represent a futuristic goal for the astrotourism industry. For more details about the presentation, please find Dr Bastian's blog on our bio.
We appreciate pendakujua and leoskyafrica for participating in the success of the event
Credit to Uon Astronight team for hosting the event
Photography credits: Uon Astronight Team, Angelica Achieng and Sam Ochor
