SANSA is the South African National Space Agency, located in Hermanus for its magnetically clean environment. It was established in 2010 but South Africa has been involved in space research for decades. Siyabulela Xusa is a South African scientist, engineer and entrepreneur who founded an energy investment company. He studied at Harvard and had early interests in science projects. ZACube-2 is South Africa's second nanosatellite, designed by Cape Peninsula University of Technology to test ship tracking technology. Elon Musk is a business magnate born in South Africa who founded SpaceX and envisions colonizing Mars to preserve humanity. SUMBANDILA was South Africa's first microsatellite launched in 2008 to research affordable space

1. RESEARCH: South Africa and
satellite technology
Luveshan Loganathan

2. ·SANSA
What does the acronym SANSA stand for?
South African National Space Agency
Why is SANSA’s location in Hermanus
SANSA operates a magnetically clean environment within its facility at Hermanus. The facility has
operated as a magnetic observatory since 1940. SANSA’s facilities in Hermanus are equipped to
characterize and calibrate magnetic sensors, or identify the magnetic signature of dynamic platforms such
as satellites and UAVs prior to sensor integration.
• What is SANSA’s purpose and the role it plays in the
international space community?
SANSA’s mandate revolves around promoting the
peaceful use of space;
The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) came into being in December 2010,
but South Africa’s involvement with space research and activities started many decades
earlier with helping early international space efforts in the second half of the 20th century,
and observing the Earth’s magnetic field at stations around Southern Africa.

3. Siya Xusa
• Who is Siyabulela Xusa?
Siyabulela Lethuxolo Xuza (born
1989) is a South African scientist,
energy-engineering expert,
entrepreneur and Harvard
engineering graduate. He is the
founder and managing director of
Galactic Energy Ventures, an
investment company focused on the
energy needs of emerging markets.
Where was he born and what were his interests when he was a child at
school?
Siya Xusa was born in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South African scientist,
energy-engineering expert, entrepreneur and Harvard engineering
graduate he went to St. John's College
• Where did he study?
He studied at Harvard
• What is the name of the
minor planet named after him
23182 Siyaxuza
What major accomplishments
did he reach in his life?
Xuza’s science project won
gold at the National Science
Expo
• What is his vision for Africa?
Siya intends to combine entrepreneurship with
renewable energy to foster sustainable African
development.

4. ZACube-2
• What is ZACube-2?
South Africa’s second nanosatellite
• What is its common name?
South African CubeSat-2
• Who designed this satellite?
The Cape Peninsula University of
Technology • Why is it called a nano-satellite?
it’s a Small satellite that ways less
then 10 kilograms
• What is the purpose of this
satellite?
Test bed for a shiptracking
payload
• How does it have an influence on your
life?
Weighing just 4 kilograms, ZACube-2
carries an automatic identification
system (AIS) payload for monitoring the
movement of ships along the South
African coastline.

5. Elon Musk
• Who is Elon Musk?
a business magnate and
investor.
• Where did he grow up and went to school? Where did he started his
studies?
Pretoria, South Africa
University of Pennsylvania
Elon Musk went to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and
then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he
received bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics in 1997. He began
graduate school in physics at Stanford University but left after several days
to focus on being an entrepreneur.
• How did he start as an
entrepreneur?
He founded Zip2
• What is the name of his space company and the name of
the rockets he launches?
SpaceX
The Falcon Heavy
• What does this space company
contribute to the space community?
What Does Spacex Contribute To The
Space Community? Among SpaceX’s
achievements are its achievement
of launching the first liquid-propellant
rocket
• What is his vision for the space future?
Musk’s ultimate vision of a second, self-sustaining habitat
for humans in the solar system is grand and
lofty, but by no means unique. What makes Musk’s plan
stand out from centuries of science fiction is that he might
actually be able to make it happen—if he can bring costs
down to his ideal levels.

6. SUMBANDILA
• What is SUMBANDILA?
South African micro Earth observation satellite
• What does the name SUMBANDILA mean?
Lead the way
• Who designed this satellite?
It was launched by the goverment
• What was the purpose of this satellite; any influence on your life?
a research tool to investigate the viability of affordable space technology
Since 2008 Sumbandila has impacted the lives of over 300 children and their
families. A total of 129 are studying at universities throughout South Africa, 53
have successfully graduated from university and are in the workplace and 137
are part of our high school program.
• Is it still orbiting Earth?
Yes

7. References
www.Wikipedia.com
www.google.com
www.sansa.com
Sumbandila – South African Council for Space Affairs
(sacsa.gov.za)