The South African Council for Space Affairs (SACSA), a Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) space council responsible for regulating space activities in South Africa, facilitated the foray of the South African space community into outer space when it issued a license to launch and operate a CUBESAT to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) last Thursday.
The SACSA license was handed to the Vice Chancellor of CPUT, Professor Lineo Vuyiswa Mazwi-Tanga by the Chairperson of the legal committee at SACSA, Advocate Phetole Sekhula, during the viewing of the launch of ZACUBE 1, the nano-satellite developed by the CPUT students under the French South Africa Institute (FSATI) programme, which offers graduate studies in satellite engineering at the University.
Other main participants from the South African side are the Department of Science and Technology, and Tshwane University of Technology whilst from the French side is the French government and academic institutes in Paris as well as the Paris Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
“We are excited to have been part of the contributors to the development of the first nano-satellite on the African continent through our support to FSATI industry seminars over the years as well as the “engineers in training” program”, said the Chief Director of Advanced Manufacturing at the dti Ms Nomfuneko Majaja.
Ms Majaja stated that the dti has contributed about R1.7 million towards the engineers in training program through its Aerospace Industry Support Initiative (AISI).
“The dti is committed to supporting the space industry, including the capacity building at our Universities and other institutions of learning to ensure that the space industry gradually move towards reaching its full potential. More so that space technology is a catalyst for economic growth and development as well as creation of high level job opportunities in our quest to move to knowledge -based economy,” added Majaja.
Director of the French South Africa Institute, Professor Robert van Zyl, thanked the South African Council for Space Affairs for the issuing of the license. The launch of ZAUBE-1 was preceded by showing of messages of support, through video links, from among others, the French Ambassador to South Africa, Ms Elisabeth Barbier and the developer of the CUBESAT mode, Professor Jordi Puig-Suari.
The CUBESAT was named TSHEPISOSAT by the students. Its main payload is a High Frequency (HF) beacon transmitter that will be used to help characterize the Earth’s ionosphere and to calibrate SANSA's (South African National Space Agency) auroral radar installation at the SANAE-IV base in Antarctica.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe, Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
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