A multi-million rand Space Weather Station has launched in Hermanus, the only one on the African continent and one of only five in the world recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The state-of-the-art regional centre was developed by the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), which falls under the Department of Science and Innovation.
It will provide early warnings and forecasts which is crucial for protecting satellites, national power grids, communications and navigation systems from the harmful effects of solar storms and other space weather phenomena.
Minister Blade Nzimande officially launched the centre on Thursday.
The launch of this centre today is truly a historic development, and a further illustration of the excellence we have in science as South Africa.
Nzimande says through SANSA, South Africa has managed to improve coordination of South Africa’s space arena to maximise the benefits of current and planned space activities, avoid or minimise duplication of resources and efforts, and organise existing initiatives, programmes, and institutions into a coherent network for all providers and users of space systems.
The Project
In 2019, SANSA developed a business case for the establishment of this space weather services capability.
The establishment took three years and built on the existing space weather research and development legacy in SANSA.
It included infrastructure development, instrumentation deployment, product and service development, and skills capability development.
The process of establishing the new Space Weather Centre was completed by end of September 2022.
The government’s total investment in this capability amounts to R107.5 million over the three years which included a ring-fenced establishment grant of R70.89 million received from my Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and R 36.6 million invested directly by SANSA from this Hermanus Facility.
An M-class solar flare is currently in progress. Frequencies of up to 20 MHz may be affected. HF signal absorption is possible on the sunlit side. pic.twitter.com/qu0NoIwRUa
— SANSA Space Weather (@SpaceweatherSA) October 4, 2022
