| ID | 098141 |
| Title Proper | South Africa's space program |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Gottschalk, Keith |
| Publication | 2010. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article analyzes South Africa's space program, which can be divided into three chronological periods. First, was the age of amateurs that took place from 1947-1962. Second, from 1963-1993, South Africa's apartheid regime started various missile projects, including a secret military space launch program aimed at orbiting reconnaissance satellites. Under U.S. Government pressure, this was canceled before the first democratically-elected government came to power in South Africa, and the facilities for manufacturing and static testing the space launch vehicle were destroyed. But, South Africa maintains a nucleus of space heritage infrastructure, including a space launch range with telemetry capabilities, satellite testing, and integration facilities, and aerospace and software industrial sectors. Third, South Africa became a democracy in 1994, and established the legal and institutional infrastructure for a civil space program. Since then, South Africa has started to shape a new space policy, this time with greater public transparency. |
| `In' analytical Note | Astropolitics Vol. 8, No. 1; Jan-Apr 2010: p.35 - 48 |
| Journal Source | Astropolitics Vol. 8, No. 1; Jan-Apr 2010: p.35 - 48 |
| Key Words | South Africa ; Space Program ; Missile Projects ; Secret Military Space Launch Program ; Civil Space Program |