A microsatellite manufactured in South Africa was launched in the US on Tuesday, 3 January. This is the first time since 2009 that a microsatellite from this country has been sent into space.
A South African-made microsatellite, EOS SAT-1, blasted off from SpaceX’s launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 3 January.
“EOS SAT-1 is about to make history by becoming the first instalment in the world’s first [agriculture-focused] constellation launched by a company utilising remote sensing tech,” said Anisimov.“The design, development, integration and acceptance testing of the EOS SAT-1 satellite were conducted over a period of three years in our Stellenbosch facilities,” said Schalk Olivier, general manager of Dragonfly Aerospace.
Growth in the space industry means SA will be relied on more for components and services, according to Olivier. The Public Private Growth Initiative helped facilitate Dragonfly Aerospace’s interaction with the South African government, said Roelf Meyer, co-founder of PPGI and former minister of constitutional affairs.Meyer considers the launch a major achievement for South Africa: “It’s something that we can claim for the country.”