Opening remarks

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen:

It pleases us, as the Department of Science and Technology (DST), to be part of this very important and exciting occasion, the test launch of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Phoenix-1B sounding rocket, under the auspices of the university’s Aerospace Systems Research Group.

Today’s launch follows hot on the heels of a recent and equally exciting milestone, the launch of Africa’s most advanced nanosatellite to date, the ZACube-2, on 27 December 2018. This satellite was built with expertise from one of our own universities, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and funded by government through the Department of Science and Technology. The primary payload of the ZACube-2 is an automatic identification system that tracks vessels entering South African waters. The system has to date provided data on the larger part of the continent. The secondary payload is a fire detection system which has yet to be commissioned. Satellite imaging began coming through in January, and we are indeed pleased that ZACube-2 will provide a cutting-edge, high-frequency data exchange communication system for the maritime industry.

The role of government

Our decision to support the development of the space science capabilities of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and others, like the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, was informed by a number of considerations. We recognise that government plays a key role in the space ecosystem of the country as investor, owner, operator, regulator and even customer for space infrastructure.

As in other large, complex infrastructure systems, government involvement is crucial to sustaining the overall space ecosystem and dealing with the strategic implications of such a system.

Furthermore, space infrastructure and technologies serve a dual purpose in that they can be used for both civilian and military applications. Governments are ideally positioned to ensure that, whatever the purpose for which infrastructure and technologies are designed, they are properly regulated, so as to avoid the possibility of their being used in a manner that has negative consequences for countries and humanity as a whole.

For these reasons, we as government recognise the potential role of space science and technology in delivering on a wide spectrum of our national priorities, including job creation, poverty reduction, cybersecurity, resource management and rural development.

The policy context

Given the importance we attach to the role of space technology in transforming South Africa’s economic and social landscape, we undertook a number of measures to ensure that we organise our space landscape to achieve some of the strategic goals we have set for ourselves as a country.

Informed by an audit of South Africa’s space landscape, and in particular the existing infrastructure, one of our interventions was the introduction of South Africa’s National Space Strategy, whose objectives include �

developing the local private space science and technology industry sector;

developing services and products that can respond to user needs, including satellites or satellite services offered from existing facilities;

organising some of the current space science and technology activities into strategic programmes to meet national needs, and building local awareness of space science and technology;

optimising the organisation of future space activities to respond to opportunities with international industrial partners or international space agencies, especially in the rest of Africa; and lastly,

strengthening training and technology transfer programmes, including the sharing of experience, expertise and space science promotion in the academic sector.

Related to this, we also established the South African National Space Agency, which as you know is South Africa’s leading public entity responsible for the management, implementation and coordination of our country’s space-related interventions, to help us realise our national development goals.

The value of the partnership with UKZN

The DST continues its partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal and its Phoenix Hybrid Sounding Rocket Programme, which is informed by our national objectives as articulated in the country’s National Space Strategy. We therefore note the work that is being done by UKZN in the area of space science in furtherance of these objectives.

And this is why we are pleased by the results that our investment in this programme is showing in critical areas such as research and development (especially engineering), infrastructure and human capital development, technology development and the forging of meaningful partnerships.

The work at UKZN will eventually culminate in the realisation of one of our key national goals, the development of an indigenous launching capability for our country and the opportunity to grow this commercially.

Concluding remarks

Ladies and gentlemen, as stated in my opening remarks, this is indeed an exciting and, I must add, proud moment for us as a country. A proud moment, because it shows us that, even though we are a relative new country in the community of nations, we are increasingly demonstrating that we are not afraid to undertake large-scale projects that have the potential to position us as one of the best, if not the best, in various scientific fields.

Proving and understanding our capabilities in a number of scientific domains is particularly important for us as a country on the African continent. Given our strategic goal of migrating South Africa towards a knowledge economy, and the need to develop appropriate responses to the opportunities and threats that come with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it becomes even more important that we leverage our capabilities both as a country and a continent.

Finally, as government we remain committed to supporting the wonderful work that is being done by UKZN’s Phoenix Hybrid Sounding Rocket Programme. And without putting them under pressure, we look forward to many more rocket launches and other exciting outcomes from this programme. Congratulations once more to the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and now let us all prepare for lift-off.

Thank you for your attention.

Source: Department: Science and Technology