These services include providing satellite imagery to end-users, providing global civil aviation with space weather information, and supporting satellite missions over Africa.
The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) has announced that the agency will invest more than $86m into developing profitable space services to become self-sustainable. The investment will be made over the next decade.Commenting on the investment, SANSA CEO, Valanathan Munsami, said that this strategy will help SANSA implement its mandate i.e., using space science for social and economic development in South Africa and Africa.
Munsami said: “At the moment, we know that public entities are regularly receiving budget cuts, which means they are expected to do more with less. We are looking at our business model, and we are trying to create platforms and programmes that will ensure our long-term financial sustainability. We are learning that we have to embrace a new way of doing things, as we cannot solely rely on public sector funding.”
SANSA aims to ensure that the South African space sector is developed to match the optimum growth experienced throughout the rest of the globe. As such, SANSA’s 2020-2025 plan will invest in human capital development for the local space sector, broaden the suite of products and services the space sector has to offer for socioeconomic development and renew its focus on regional space programmes on the African continent.
Add Comment