Programme director
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mazwi-Tanga
Deputy Vice-Chancellors and members of the Executive Management of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
Vice-President responsible for Education, Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Jean-Paul Vermes
Counselor for Science, Culture and Development, Embassy of France, Professor Elmaleh
Executive Director: Institutional Capacity Development, National Research Foundation (NRF), Dr Maharaj
Managing Director, Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, Dr Malinga
Division Head: Space Science and Technology, South African AstronomicalObservatory, Dr Martinez
Export business development and Sales Director, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, Mr Roux
Students
Ladies and gentlemen
South Africa’s “Space Affairs Act”, as amended in 1995, mandated our country’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to “determine the policy to be followed in the Republic”, and that policy was introduced, by the DTI in March this year. Its primary focus is gearing the many benefits of space science and technology to socio-economic growth and sustainable development.
Today we are gathered here to launch another significant manifestation of that policy, and it is a great honour for me to be invited to address you on this important occasion; one that looks set to transform the space sector in South Africa. Permit me to briefly recap the events that have brought us to where we are today.
The process started with a series of strategic documents. The first was the 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology. This was followed by the National Research and Technology Foresight in 1999; and, finally, the National Development Strategy of 2002. These proposals led to the economic cluster of government departments, including my own department, the Department of Science and Technology, being identified with a number of key national targets and strategic outcomes to be achieved over the decade leading up to 2018.
These targets and strategic outcomes are described as grand challenges in the department’s 10 year innovation plan. This plan identified farmer to pharma process; energy; global change; human and social dynamics, and the space science and technology.
It is important to note that we regard space science and technology as cross-cutting, in that it can be used as a tool to inform the other grand challenges and thus help in shaping their strategic focus.
The 10 year innovation plan maps the road that South Africa must travel in order to become a knowledge-based economy. Such an economy is seen to rest on four pillars, namely, innovation; economic and institutional infrastructure; information infrastructure; and education.
Having identified Space Science Technology as one of the grand challenges, the Department of Science and Technology undertook a space capabilities audit. The aim was to assess:
* The capabilities of local industry
* The role of existing space science research centres
* The strengths and weaknesses of entities
* The available or residual facilities from previous space programmes; and
* The global position of South Africa in the space arena.
The results of the audit confirmed that South Africa was indeed ready to engage in a formal space programme, but that development of the requisite capacity was needed to be fully effective. This capacity relates to both the human capital and the appropriate infrastructure that goes with it.
Having established the country’s position in the local and global space arena, the next step was to develop a strategy to move us in the right direction. The national space strategy was drafted by a number of government departments and the outcome essentially reflected their respective needs from a national space programme. The national space strategy was approved in December 2008.
The primary objective of the national space strategy is to organise some of the current space science and technology activities into a strategic programme.
The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for space policy and it finalised the national space policy, which was tabled together with the national space strategy. The two key primary objectives of the national space policy are to improve coordination throughout the South African space arena to maximise the benefits of current and planned space activities and to promote capacity-building initiatives as a means towards effective participation in the space arena.
In parallel to the national space strategy and the national space policy, the South African National Space Agency Bill was enacted into law in December 2008. Since then, the Department of Science and Technology has moved into the advanced stages of establishing the national space agency. Our medium term goal is for our country to have a fully operational space program in the next five years and to be globally positioned within 10 years. Fostering international cooperation in space related activities and advancing scientific, engineering and technological competencies and capabilities through human capital development and outreach programmes are key objectives of this agency.
Another important strategy is the South African Earth Observation Strategy (SAEOS) which dates back to 2006. SAEOS will coordinate the collection, processing and dissemination of earth observations data so that they can be fully used to support policy, decision-making, economic growth and sustainable development in South Africa.
By far the most vital element in our space equation is international partnerships and links with established and developed space-going nations. So we are more than delighted that the government of France and the Paris Chamber of Commerce have partnered with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to put together a satellite engineering program that will ensure students are trained in satellite engineering and other relevant areas. The question of human capital development ranks high on the Department of Science and Technology’s space agenda. One of the priority activities of the space agency will be the building of satellites. We will not get far without the people who are trained to do that job.
I am informed that the programme will be using CubeSat as an educational satellite vehicle. A CubeSat is a miniature satellite weighing less than a kilogram. It is affordable satellite hardware which prepares students for exposure to future realities. These small-scale satellites demand the same engineering disciplines required by larger satellites, so the experience gained in working with CubeSat is easily transferable to the bigger and more expensive hardware applicable to the full scale satellite design and construction which represents the next phase.
On completion of the programme students involved in the full MTech project will graduate with MTech from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and an MSc from the Groupe Ecole Supérieure d’ingénieurs en Electrotechnique et Electronique, of France, a formidable qualification.
The Department of Science and Technology has committed over R18 million to the France-South Africa Technology Institute Satellite programme over the next three years. This is for us a huge investment in human capital development and we are counting heavily on the partnership to deliver on their promise: Competent and visionary satellite engineers who will help build the next South African satellites.
None of this is easy; a fact recognised many years ago by the famous German/American space pioneer Wernher von Braun, who said, “Our two greatest problems are gravity and paper work. “We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.” In this case, we’ll do the paperwork, you deal with gravity.
And on that note ladies and gentlemen, I wish great success to all who are involved in this worthy programme, particularly the students. To them I say, your challenge is your country’s challenge, rise to it and a promising future awaits you and your country!
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
16 November 2009
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za)
