The Western Cape will be playing a part in putting the first astronaut on Mars, as the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) has partnered up with NASA to collaborate on the Artemis programme.
Yesterday, the provincial government welcomed the official commencement of the collaboration between the South African entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the USA’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to invest in a Deep Space Ground Station in Matjiesfontein.
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The collaboration seeks to assist NASA in achieving the objectives of the Artemis programme to further explore the moon’s surface and send the first astronauts to Mars.
To achieve this mission, NASA plans to implement three new ground stations that will provide near-continuous communications support for missions up to two million kilometres from Earth.
At a meeting with the US Consul General, a team from NASA, their SANSA counterparts, and Wesgro officials, Western Cape Premier Winde said that the collaboration would take the province’s relationship with NASA to new heights in space.
“The Western Cape Government share the belief that there are immense economic opportunities in space research,” said the premier.
“The fact that SANSA will play an important role in this exciting project is an opportunity to show the world that we value partnerships and put great importance in scientific innovation.”
“We are elated that Matjiesfontein has been chosen as the site for this project. It has the potential to launch the the provincial government’s skills development drive beyond the limits of earth.”
The Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wegner, explained that Matjiesfontein had been chosen because of its good weather conditions and low radio frequency interference.
“Anyone who hears the acronym, ‘NASA’, cannot help but get excited by the prospect of exploring the great unknown,” said Wegner.
“I for one look forward to seeing the project come to fruition and will assist in any way we can to help ensure that Matjiesfontein realizes its potential to become a new hub for space science.”
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