Edward Festus Mukuka Nkoloso
| Birth name | Edward Festus Mukuka Nkoloso |
| Born | 1919 Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) |
| Died | 1989 3, 4 (aged -1915) Zambia |
| Nationality | Zambian |
| Occupation | Director of the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy |
| Other roles | Teacher, Translator, Resistance Fighter |
| Education | University of Zambia (LLB, 1983) |
| Military rank | Colonel |
| Retired | 1972 |
| Awards | Soviet Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1984) |
Edward Festus Mukuka Nkoloso (1919 – 4 March 1989) was a Zambian independence activist, teacher, military veteran, and visionary behind the country’s short-lived space exploration initiative, the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy. He is widely remembered for his bold ambition to send Zambians—whom he called "Afronauts"—to the Moon and Mars during the 1960s, as Zambia gained independence.
Early life and education
Nkoloso was born in 1919 in what was then Northern Rhodesia. He joined the British Army’s Northern Rhodesia Regiment during the Second World War, serving as a sergeant in the signals corps. After the war, he worked as a translator for the colonial government and also taught at primary school level. His own school was later shut down by colonial authorities, prompting his involvement in the independence resistance movement.
Political and resistance activity
A committed nationalist, Nkoloso was arrested twice in 1956 and 1957 due to his political involvement. He later became a security official for the United National Independence Party (UNIP), the dominant party in the independence struggle led by Kenneth Kaunda. He was also one of the delegates at the 1964 Constitutional Convention leading up to Zambia’s independence.
Zambia's space programme
In 1960, Nkoloso founded the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy. The institution sought to develop a Zambian space program that would rival those of the United States and the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
The programme intended to launch 17-year-old astronaut trainee Matha Mwambwa and two cats to the Moon aboard a spacecraft dubbed the D-Kalu 1, named after President Kenneth Kaunda. Training included rolling inside oil drums and swinging on tyres to simulate weightlessness.
Nkoloso described the mission as both scientific and spiritual—aiming to spread Christianity to potential Martians, though he stressed this would not be by force. His request for £7 million from UNESCO and further appeals for $1.9 billion in private funding were never granted. The Zambian government later distanced itself from the programme.
Despite his claims, President Kaunda later described the space project as more symbolic and humorous than serious. The mission was eventually abandoned due to lack of funds, media mockery, and the unexpected pregnancy of its lead astronaut, Matha Mwambwa.
Later years
In the post-independence era, Nkoloso continued advocating for African science and tradition. He was appointed to the Liberation Centre and advocated for the recognition of witch doctors alongside physicians. Though he supported traditional medicine, he denied practicing witchcraft himself.
He studied law and obtained a degree from the University of Zambia in 1983. Nkoloso also served as president of the Ndola Ex-servicemen's Association and was buried with presidential honours after his death in 1989.
In popular culture
Nkoloso’s unique space ambitions have inspired various forms of media and storytelling:
- The photography book Afronauts by Cristina De Middel (2012)
- The short film Afronauts by Nuotama Bodomo, premiered at Sundance in 2014
- A dramatised documentary, Mukuka Nkoloso the Afronaut (2013) by CCTV's Faces of Africa
- Featured character in Namwali Serpell’s award-winning novel The Old Drift (2019)
- Depicted in the 2014 film Nkoloso the Afronaut, nominated at the Uganda Film Festival.
Legacy
While often remembered for his eccentric space ambitions, Edward Nkoloso remains a symbol of post-colonial African ambition, ingenuity, and national pride. His efforts have come to represent both the limits and possibilities of decolonised imagination and self-determination.
