FE T A URE
Information supplied by SANSA.
SANSA: Reimagining the space sector W hile the South
in space-related activities,
business model, organisa-
but there’s a lot more to
African National
foster research in space
tional culture, systems and
space science and tech-
Space Agency
science, advance scien-
processes, and revising all
nology that people don’t
(SANSA) was launched
tific engineering through
70 of its policies to align
realise.
in December 2010, South
human capital and sup-
them to the new business
Africa’s involvement with
port the creation of an
model. It is also rebrand-
established, government
space research and activities
environment conducive to
ing. The aim is to grow the
departments were asked
started decades earlier when
industrial development in
agency to take advantage
what they wanted it to as-
it helped early international
space technologies within
of various opportunities
sist with. A list of priorities
space efforts and began ob-
the framework of national
that are on the horizon.
was then included in the
serving Earth’s magnetic field
government policy.
When SANSA was
National Space Strategy,
The agency, which falls
aims to enhance its con-
Demystifying space science and technology
under the Department of
tribution and significant
When we talk about space
warning; cross-border
Science and Innovation,
change is thus taking place
science and technology,
risk; disease surveillance
was launched to provide
within the organisation.
immediately the mind is
and health risk; asset
for the promotion and use
While it is not restruc-
cast towards landing on
monitoring; regulatory
of space and cooperation
turing, it is changing its
the Moon or going to Mars,
enforcement; and defence,
at stations around Southern Africa.
16
While significant strides have been made, SANSA
including disaster monitoring and relief; hazards forecasting and early
Public Sector Manager • May 2022
