SA space symposium embraces young scientists

15 June 2016 News

This year’s AMSAT SA Space Symposium, an event open to anyone interested in space communications, was held at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria on 28 May. Among the highlights was an exploration of how South African radio amateurs can communicate using the soon to be launched Es’hail geostationary satellite, which has a footprint covering Africa, Europe, the Middle East and South America. A paper was featured on how to construct an inexpensive ground station for both reception of the signals and to uplink to the satellite.

Other presentations looked at how interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects can be spurred using satellites. On a practical level, the paper entitled ‘Wizard-Blocks Tower BalloonSats’ explored how young people can get involved in building satellite-type technology, launching it into near space on a weather balloon, tracking it and decoding and analysing the data received.

AMSAT SA, which is currently building its own CubeSat, presented an extensive review of the project and illustrated how volunteers are contributing to South Africa’s first amateur CubeSat. A CubeSat is a small satellite measuring just 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weighing 1,3 kg.

Commenting on AMSAT SA’s work, spokesman Hans van de Groenendaal explained, “We have designed and are building our own space frame which has unique features of folding out solar panels, which will allow the satellite to harness more solar power to operate more systems on the satellite.”

AMSAT SA also invited schools to submit proposals for small science projects to be included on the satellite in order test their performance in space.

For more information contact Hans van de Groenendaal, AMSAT SA, +27 (0)12 991 4662, www.amsatsa.org.za

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