According to the latest news from the South African Radio League (SARL) South Africa is going to get its own space agency or as the SARL news writer put it their "own NASA".As I said in a post way back in July 2009; I wonder if I am alone in thinking my generation has been cheated of our inheritance. What I mean is that as a ten year old watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon I was convinced that we would have been to Mars, had colonies on the moon and had hotels in space by now. I therefore think this is great news, someone is at last taking the subject of space seriously again. Like Gene Roddenberry the screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek I believe that there is no better way to bring together the nations of the world than the mutual cooperation required for the exploration of space.
The press release states: The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, on Thursday 9 December officially launched the South African National Space Agency at a gala event in Mid Rand. She said that SANSA is mandated as the primary, but not sole, implementer of South Africa's National Space Programme to direct Government's investment in space sciences and technology. The purpose is to integrate and manage the country's space activities for the greater good and implement an effective, sustainable, long term, national space programme aligned with South Africa's socio-economic policies.
Of most interest to the amateur radio community was a question from a SARL representative at the media briefing, asked if SANSA will support amateur radio satellite programme, the CEO of SANSA said "Definitely, the radio amateurs are part of our plans".
I was 9 years old when Sputnik was launched. I knew I would live to see men walk on the moon. I never expected to say I had seen the last men walk on the moon. Let up hope that SA gets the NASA of von Braun rather than the one of today.
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