President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, has pledged continued government support to prepare more young Zanzibaris for careers in space science and technology.
Dr. Mwinyi made the remarks when he met five students selected to visit NASA headquarters in Washington D.C., United States, and participate in the NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2025 in Ibra, Oman. The meeting took place at the Zanzibar State House today, August 25, 2025.
The students earned the opportunity through their outstanding performance in the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) program, which involves discovering asteroids in collaboration with NASA.
A total of 22 students from the Karume Institute of Science and Technology, Zanzibar University, and Abdulrahman Al-Sumait University participated under the banner of the Zanzibar Space Team and successfully discovered new asteroids using NASA-provided space images analyzed through the Astrometrica program.
The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training Permanent Secretary, Khamis Abdulla Said, named Majid Khalfan Omar, Nadhifa Mashaka, and Ishaka Harith Salim as the students who will visit NASA, while Mulhat Abdallah and Feisal Issa Minchoum are expected to attend the Hackathon in Oman.
Ms. Amina Ahmad, Director of the Royal Astronomy and Space Society, said the society plans to develop space tourism in Zanzibar and launch specialized training programs for students from various schools to gain practical knowledge in space science.
The program has been coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training Zanzibar in collaboration with the Royal Astronomy and Space Society and Eng. Abdulwahab Al Busaidi from the Oman Astronomical and Space Society.
The October 2025 visit will provide the students with training in space science, asteroid discovery, and related technologies to enhance their academic and professional skills.
President Dr. Mwinyi also presented the students with certificates of completion, commending their dedication and achievement in advancing Zanzibar’s presence in space science.