SA's R26m satellite on ice
2007-05-30 07:16
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Cape Town - The launch of South Africa's
first government satellite from a Russian submarine next month
has been postponed indefinitely, an official said on Tuesday.
"It has been postponed because official documentation still
needs to be arranged to issue a decree for the launch," said
Nhlanhla Nyide, spokesperson for the Department of Science and
Technology.
"They are currently working on the process ... We will hear
from them when they have set a new date for launch," Nyide said.
He said no additional costs will be incurred and South
Africa's nascent space programme would not be affected because
of the cancellation of the launch, which was to have taken place
in the Barents Sea near Norway.
The R26m satellite, intended to
orbit some 500km above earth and have a life-span
of three years and longer, would carry high-resolution imaging
cameras.
The images from the South African-built satellite would be
used across a wide array of applications, from agriculture to
land use and infrastructure mapping.
South Africa has pledged millions of rands to build its
astronomy and space sector, with the construction of the South
African Large Telescope creating a hub for astronomy research in
southern Africa.
In July 2006 cabinet approved the establishment of a South
African Space Agency as an institutional vehicle to look at
space science and technology.
- Reuters