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- South Africa is partnering with China to build a research base on the moon.
- Representatives of the space agencies signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the International Lunar Research Station project.
- This is the latest in a long list of space-based developments for South Africa in recent months.
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.
Representatives of the space agencies of China and South Africa have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on a project to build a research base on the moon.
In a statement on their website on 8 September, the SA National Space Agency (Sansa) announced, that under the MoU, China and South Africa would be cooperating extensively, on the demonstration, implementation, operation, application, education, and training for the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project.
Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong, who was acting on behalf of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and Humbulani Mudau, the head of Sansa, signed the MoU on 1 September and announced the agreement on their websites last Friday last.
"South Africa's formal entry of ILRS cooperation indicates that China-South Africa cooperation has been extended from near-earth space to the moon and deep space beyond," said the statement.
The heads of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, and CNSA entered into a MoU on cooperative construction of the lunar research station in March 2021, as was announced in a CNSA statement from the time.
They stated the project would entail building a scientific experiment base on the lunar surface and/or in orbit of the moon that will carry out multi-disciplinary scientific research activities.
The execution of this plan is still a way off.
SpaceNews reported the plan was to complete the research base in the 2030s.Sansa's communications head, Veneshree Maharaj, told News24 the opportunity to collaborate on the project had been offered to BRICS countries first and South Africa was the first country in Africa to become a partner on the project.
She said this was an opportunity for South Africa to elevate its presence in space.
"We really cannot continue to operate as we have just within the constraints of Earth, lets also create those aspirations for South African citizens."
Maharaj added Sansa would act as a facilitator for South African experts to get involved in the project.
READ MORE | NASA delegation in SA to ‘rekindle’ its relationship with the country
Sansa wanted to open up opportunities to contribute to the project for experts such as academics, engineers, technicians, and local industry, she said.
Latest on a long list
The collaboration on the ILRS is the latest initiative on a long list of space-related activities that South Africa has announced in recent months.
First, a delegation from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) visited South Africa with a view to rekindling a relationship with it.
Construction will soon start on a facility that will assist with communications on NASA's Artemis project which will attempt to send people to the moon for the first time since 1972.
READ MORE | Russia opens facility in SA's North West to help protect the ISS from space junk
In the same week the NASA delegation was in South Africa, a meeting of the heads of the BRICS space agencies was happening in Hermanus.
In that meeting, Yury Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, invited BRICS representatives to collaborate on building a component of a new space station.
Russia has also opened a facility in the North West to detect and monitor space junk.
The facility will be used to protect space infrastructure such as satellites and the International Space Station.
