The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor will officially launch the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) on Wednesday, 9 December 2010 at the Midrand Conference Centre at 09h30.
This will coincide with the launch of the National Space Strategy as well.
The National Space Strategy provides a framework for the coordination of all space related activities in South Africa. Its key focus areas are in Environmental and Resource Management, Health, Safety and Security, and Innovation and Economic growth. All these elements have the potential to impact on a wide range of national priorities, including industrial development, natural resource management, poverty reduction and rural development.
The National Space Agency will be the instrument which implements the National Strategy. Established through the Act of Parliament, it will coordinate and integrate national space science and technology programmes and conduct long term planning for the implementation of space related activities in South Africa for the benefit all citizens.
Also on Wednesday, the South African National Space Agency will sign an inter-agency cooperative agreement with the Algerian Space Agency ( ASAL) on space science and technology as well as Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais – INPE) of Brazil and China Centre for Resources Satellite Data and Application ( CRESDA) for the reception and distribution of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CRERS-3) data within South African and Southern African Development (SADC) region.
Media are invited.
For accreditation and request for interviews, please contact Ms Zama Mthethwa on zama.mthethwa@dst.gov.za.
Enquiries:
Lunga Ngqengelele
Tel: 012 843 6802
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: lunga.ngqengelele@dst.gov.za
