Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
From a Cape frontier to the moon
SA National Space Agency joins Nasa for study to build a ground station in Matjiesfontein
MATJIESFONTEIN may one day serve as a launch pad to the stars.
The South African National Space Agency (Sansa), in partnership with Nasa, is conducting studies to construct a deep-space ground station in the Western Cape town.
Sansa business manager Tiaan Strydom said talks begun in 2014.
“We started with a general discussion and Sansa earmarked Matjiesfontein,” Strydom said. “The reason for it is because it is semi-desert and doesn’t get a lot of rain and, if you use a high-frequency band, rain impacts your signal.
“Nasa did visit South Africa, we showed them the site and currently they are very interested in the suggestion.”
On May 27, the Cabinet published a statement approving a deal between Sansa and Nasa.
“We are still at a study agreement level,” Strydom said. “But what the agreement entails is that the agencies work together to do the study of the facility, weather patterns and power supply to the area. That’s the stage we are at.
“Coming to fruition, Nasa will build this facility in the Karoo area, and Sansa will man and operate it.”
The station would form part of a network of stations across the US, Spain and Australia, in support of Nasa’s Artemis Programme, which was enacted by US president Donald Trump in December 2017. The directive states that the US will work to return astronauts to the moon by 2024, and beyond.
Matjiesfontein is notably known for the Lord Milner Hotel, with its general manager Werner Smit being in support of the ongoing space station study.
The project also has the backing of the Department of Science and Innovation.
“If it hadn’t been for Covid-19, we would have already been breaking the ground on this before the end of May,” said director-general of Technology Innovation Mmboneni Muofhe.
“We have been having this engagement with Nasa for a quite a while.”
Nasa operated a satellite tracking and data acquisition network in Hartebeesthoek
in the 1960s and 1970s.
“We are in a very unique position as a country due to our geographic location,” Moufhe said. “For that reason, numerous missions and launches of rockets are being supported by our facilities for many countries.
“There are (economic) challenges we’re facing but the thing about this project is that because it’s about supporting the mission of another country, it’s not just being done for free,” he added.
“There are aspects that will need funding but when we have infrastructure such as this, we also link them with outreach programmes which will include raising awareness of the science in question.”
Tom Jarrett, research chairperson for astrophysics and space science at the National Research Foundation, said South Africa is well positioned to assist with space exploration initiatives, such as the Square Kilometre Array telescope project in the Northern Cape.
“By partnering with Nasa, we become part of this vast international network of smart, innovative and forward-thinking humans,” Jarrett said.
“The Sansa ground station is only the beginning. I truly hope and expect there to be South African tech development that is geared towards Earth science, solar system exploration and astrophysics missions.
“We’ve been operating for the last 60 years but we don’t have the full capability,” he added.
“Having a system like this in place, we have a lot of confidence and another advantage is what it offers to the community and what it offers for young people.
“Being in space is a big motivator for science and technology.”