Cosmic Connections: BRICS Collaborative Vision for Space Research

The main goal of the conference is to foster international partnerships and strong collaborations within the BRICS Plus communities, particularly in the areas of space, science, and astronomy, Takalani Nemaungani, Chief Director of the Astronomy Portfolio at the South African Department of Science and Innovation, tells Global South Pole.

He further explains that one of the key projects being carried out by the bloc is the “BRICS intelligent Telescope and Data Network.”

"So what this means is that we are also trying to connect existing telescopes among the BRICS countries so that once we have connected these telescopes, we can use them jointly to study certain phenomena such as transients and pulsars. So that is an ongoing effort to align and to synchronize our various telescopes so that they can sometimes operate as one or be directed together towards a particular part of the sky where we have joint interest in observing that particular phenomena," Nemaungani says.

Commenting on the prospects of relations between his country and Russia, the head of the South African delegation asserts that the two nations have been partners in the field of astronomy, and he advocates for further ties.

"We've been collaborating with Russia. We actually host some Russian instruments and telescopes in South Africa in the Northern Cape. So we have been learning from them in terms of technological advancements, in terms of scientific advancement, and we continue to build on that," he notes.

Likewise, the following personalities are featured in this episode:

Duduzile Kubheka, BRICS Astronomy Coordinator, South African Astronomical Observatory, shares her insights on the importance of collaboration between member countries in advancing space science and research.

Dr. Getinet Ayane, Lecturer at Kotebe University of Education and adjunct staff at Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute, discusses Addis Ababa's growing interest in astronomy and space science and how partnerships with BRICS nations could accelerate their progress in these fields.

To find out what else our guests had to say, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.

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