As the 2024 World Space Week focuses on the crucial link between space and climate change, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) is highlighting the transformative potential of space technology for tackling climate challenges in Africa.
"Space plays a critical role in addressing climate change," Humbulani Mudau, CEO of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), told Sputnik Africa on the occasion of the World Space Week 2024. "Space-based technologies and information derived from these space assets are essential for developing early warning systems."
Mudau highlighted South Africa's commitment to working with other African nations to develop national adaptation plans for climate resilience. He also stressed the importance of international collaborations, particularly within BRICS: "The BRICS setup is critical. It's a platform that allows us to really strengthen and deepen our space cooperation."
The SANSA head also noted that South Africa is actively involved in the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a collaborative project with Russia's State Space Corporation (Roscosmos) and the China National Space Administration.
"That's one of the areas that we are very excited about because, as South Africa, we are beginning to see ourselves playing and as well as going to contribute to the global space exploration through the ILRS," said Mudau.
He also mentioned the successful collaboration with Roscosmos in building PanEOS, a space debris monitoring system hosted in South Africa, which is crucial for space situational awareness and traffic management. "Space is no longer for the elites," he asserted, emphasizing the growing interconnectedness of space and human life.
"It is very important that we work together as Africans to also build these capacities and capabilities so that we can also contribute to the global space economy," Mudau concluded.