Developed by students at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University and South African space technology firm SunSpace, the “SumbandilaSat” micro-satellite, took off from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome on 17 September.

Pictures of the momentous event were streamed live over the internet and South Africa’s Science and Technology Minister, Naledi Pandor, was in Kazakhstan for the launch.

Taking its name from the Venda word meaning “pioneer”, the SumbandilaSat will gather crucial information about weather patterns and how climate change is affecting South Africa. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: African National Congress, Agriculture, ANC, ICT, Information and Communication Technologies, Jessie Ndaba, Kazakhstan, Naledi Pandor, Ron Oliver, Russia, Satellite Technology, South Africa, Stellenbosch University, SumbandilaSat, SunSpace, Telecommunications