Green light for new space agency

SOUTH AFRICA is aiming for the stars with plans to launch a space agency to promote cutting-edge technology, including satellite development, on the world’s poorest continent, a senior government official said yesterday.

“We hope the space agency will be off the ground within a year,” said Pontsho Maruping, the chief director responsible for frontier programs in South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology.

Maruping said they planned to launch their first operational micro-satellite from Russia in December. It follows the launch a decade ago of a satellite developed by South African students.