When Samuel Ishimwe talks about satellites, he is quick to move the conversation away from space.

Instead, he talks about maize fields in Nyagatare, droughts that can be detected before crops begin to wither, and landslides that could be predicted before they claim lives.

For Ishimwe, who recently completed a master’s degree in Space Technology Applications at Beihang University in Hangzhou, China, the true value of space technology lies not in orbit but in the everyday challenges it can help address on the ground.

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During a professional internship at STAR.VISION Aerospace Ltd., a Chinese company specialising in satellite technology and artificial intelligence, Ishimwe worked on projects that applied satellite data to agriculture, climate monitoring and mining across East Africa.

One project focused on crop monitoring in Nyagatare District, where satellite imagery and artificial intelligence were used to identify crops such as maize and beans and monitor their performance over time.

"The purpose of these analyses is to support decision-makers such as the Ministry of Agriculture and institutions like Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB),” Ishimwe said. "Satellite data can help identify drought because the images use different spectral bands that reveal changes in vegetation before they become visible to the naked eye.”

The team also used AI-powered platforms that allow users to monitor farmland remotely.

"Instead of manually analysing satellite images, users can ask questions through an AI chatbot and receive dashboards, charts and graphs showing the condition of specific farms,” he said.

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Beyond agriculture, Ishimwe worked on analysing climate change impacts on three major East African lakes—Lake Kivu, Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana—using satellite data collected between 2000 and 2026.

"The analysis sought to understand how changing climate patterns are affecting water bodies that support millions of people across the region,” he said.

He believes the technology has practical applications that extend beyond research.

"In a country like Rwanda, which has many hills, it is difficult to collect data everywhere on the ground,” he said. "High-resolution satellite imagery makes it easier to monitor farms and other areas that are not easily accessible.”

The technology can also support urban planning, infrastructure development, disaster management and environmental protection.

Historical satellite data can help identify areas vulnerable to floods and landslides, while frequent imagery can reveal unauthorised construction and other changes on the landscape.

Ishimwe says one of the biggest lessons he gained from his experience is that countries do not necessarily need to own satellites to benefit from space technology.

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Many companies already operate Earth observation satellites, allowing governments and institutions to purchase data and analyse it locally. What matters, he argues, is having skilled people who can transform that data into useful information.

"Once we build enough expertise, we will be able to process our own data and generate information that helps institutions and policymakers make better decisions,” he said.

His classmate, Eric Ibyishaka, shares the same vision.

After studying Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Rwanda and later pursuing a master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Ibyishaka specialised in remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems before joining the same master’s programme in China.

One challenge stood out during his studies.

"I kept reading reports of people dying in illegal mining sites,” he said.

Those reports inspired his research on using satellite imagery to detect newly established open-pit mines, giving authorities an opportunity to identify illegal or unsafe mining operations earlier.

"The technology can help the government know where new mines have appeared and determine whether they are operating legally,” Ibyishaka said. "It can also reduce deaths caused by unsafe mining.”

During their internship, the two engineers also worked on tea suitability analysis, examining how climate change could gradually push tea cultivation towards higher elevations as temperatures rise and rainfall patterns change.

Ibyishaka said one of the most remarkable innovations he encountered was seeing satellites process data while still in space.

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Instead of downloading raw satellite imagery and carrying out lengthy analysis on computers, STAR.VISION’s satellites are equipped with onboard computing capabilities that allow users to assign analytical tasks before the data is transmitted to Earth.

"You can instruct the satellite to analyse farmland or another area while it is still in orbit,” he explained. "By the time the data reaches you, much of the processing has already been completed.”

The result is faster access to information that can support decisions in agriculture, environmental conservation, urban development and disaster response.

Their experience comes as Rwanda continues to invest in developing capacity in the space sector.

Through partnerships with universities and international institutions, the Rwanda Space Agency has supported Rwandan students to pursue advanced studies in space-related fields while working to establish a space engineering programme at the University of Rwanda to train future specialists.

Despite the progress, the sector still faces shortages of expertise in specialised fields such as artificial intelligence, satellite engineering and space regulation.