CPUT hosts veteran Nasa astronaut
FORMER Nasa head and astronaut Major General Charles Bolden, jr, is due to visit CPUT’s space programme lab today.
The US Mission to South Africa is hosting Bolden, who is the US science envoy for space, until November 17.
Bolden served as administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) for eight years. During his stint as Nasa head, Bolden oversaw the safe transition of 30 years of space shuttle missions to a new age of exploration focused on full utilisation of the International Space Station and space and aeronautics development.
His 34-year career with the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of Nasa’s Astronaut Office. He travelled into orbit four times aboard the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions and piloting two others.
Bolden’s visit caps a busy year for CPUT’s space programme, with the French South African Institute of Technology (F’SATI) about to launch its second nano-satellite into space at the end of the year. The space programme is in the process of becoming the southern African arm of the Pan African University, a post graduate training and research network of African universities.
Additionally, CPUT recently launched Amaya Space, a completely local company that can deliver fully functional CubeSat constellations. F’SATI will also host a Space Industry Development Framework Workshop on November 15. |