Today marks the 50^th year since the Russian satellite Sputnik was launched into orbit, an occurrence that irrevocably changed the face of space science and marked the start of the Space Age.

The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a netball and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth.

Less than a year later the USA established its space agency, NASA.

Since then umpteen space excursions have been undertaken, including a man landing on the moon, while space tourism could be a reality in the next two years. 

Space activities have certainly had a positive and beneficial impact on everyday life.

“There are tremendous returns from space science in terms of job creation, technological know-how and scientific knowledge,” says Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena.

These include products such as silver foil, radioactive smoke detectors, cordless drills, cheap electronic calculators, dry ice, bar codes and bar code scanners, digital displays on watches and rechargeable heart pacemakers.

To coincide with Space Week and Astronomy Month, South Africa is hosting the 2^nd African Leadership conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in Pretoria this week. 

The theme of the conference is ‘Building African partnerships in space’ and it is attended by, among others, delegates from 14 African countries.

The conference focuses on knowledge and skills development through capacity building, knowledge sharing, joint participation in mutual beneficial projects, as well as bilateral and international cooperation.

Mangena says space activities contribute towards five major societal challenges. These relate to the state of the environment, the use of natural resources, the increasing mobility of individuals and products and the related consequences, growing security threats and the shift towards an information society.

“Devoting resources to the development of space systems can only be justified from a socio-economic perspective if these systems significantly benefit society at large.  Governments and societies are now realising the enormous potential of space, and how it impacts on everyday life,” he says.

The huge amounts of money spent on space science globally, are no longer a pie in the sky; the practical applications of space science for modern-day society are common knowledge.

For example, satellites are routinely used for telecommunications, broadcasting and various other applications like obtaining information about the earth.

Satellite data via the internet already plays a vital role in agriculture and water resource management, particularly in South Africa’s arid conditions.  Satellites are also monitoring almost all aspects of the world’s climate system. This includes measuring the temperature of the sea and land, clouds and rainfall, winds, sea level, ice cover, vegetation cover and gases.

With major urbanisation taking place rapidly, cities seem to be growing fast in an uncontrolled way. But by using satellite images, town planners can ascertain and advise on mitigating problems associated with traffic congestion, illegal building and too few recreational sites.

For its part, South Africa will soon launch its own low earth orbiting satellite, called     SumbandilaSat, meaning ‘Lead the way’ in Tshivenda.   

SumbandilaSat is part of a multimillion Rand, three-year integrated national space programme developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). It will serve as a research tool to support, among others, the monitoring and management of disasters like floods, oil spills and fires.    

During Astronomy Month the DST promotes and endorses astronomy research and researchers in the country.  It also aims to bring the understanding of the universe into the homes and lives of everyday people.  Astronomy is growing in popularity around the world and is not confined to the stereotypical "male only" science field.

The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) is coordinating astronomy-promoting activities at science centres and platforms around the country during this month. 

The significance of a solar eclipse, a meteor or solar flares, the reason for studying galaxies millions of kilometres away and the practical impact of understanding the dynamics of black holes, white holes and wormholes are but a few of the astronomy topics that will be placed under the spotlight.   In turn, this will assist in developing sustainable student work plans and source funding for research and development. 

In another development, science and culture meet will meet at the Menlyn Centre in Pretoria on Saturday when a celebrity concert - Reach for the Stars! – will take place.  Learners will sing the planet song to HipHop music and the Kids in the Sky song. The festivities will start at 13:00 and will include a celebrity fashion parade.

Various other activities will take place during October and will be presented at the Boyden Observatory in Bloemfontein, The Old Mutual Science Centre in Durban and the MTN Science Centre in Cape Town, while Sci-fest will offer various presentations in Bloemfontein, Kroonstad, Sasolburg, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom for tertiary learners and students.

Mangena says space technology is an indispensable tool for the development of South Africa and Africa.

“By coordinating the intellectual resources of our national space programmes, the collective impact of these initiatives can greatly enhance those programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single African country. This receives special attention during Space Week in Astronomy Month,” he says. 

Issued by:              Ben Rootman

Junxion Communications

012 342 0456

082 551 4853

For:                         Helen Malherbe

South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement

012 392 9300

                                083 399 4353