The South African National Space Agency (Sansa) has put a newly built rocket gantry to the test by launching a research sounding rocket carrying measuring instruments from the Denel Overberg Test Range facility in Arniston in the Western Cape.

According to a statement from Sansa on Thursday, the payload successfully measured Earth’s magnetic field as well as flight data of its “mothership” during the 400s-long journey.

The test of the new rocket gantry followed its 3 December inauguration. The facility supports the launch of various types of spacecraft by domestic and international companies and space agencies.

“This gantry is a national asset that will be used to launch suborbital rockets built by the Aerospace Systems Research Institute (Asri),” said deputy science, technology & innovation minister Nomalungelo Gina in a statement. Asri forms part of the school of engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, renowned globally for its high-performance hybrid rocket-building capabilities.

“It can also accommodate much larger solid-propellant vehicles of the type operated by space-faring nations, including other potential international clients on the continent and worldwide.”

Sansa said the new facility is designed to support next-generation aerospace projects, enabling the testing and preparation of advanced rocket systems while fostering critical research initiatives.

Aiming and control

The “sophisticated” launch gantry features a state-of-the-art aiming and control system, allowing for 360-degree horizontal rotation and vertical elevation adjustments. “This ensures pinpoint accuracy and adaptability to factors such as wind direction on launch days,” said Sansa.

The gantry’s development was funded by the department of science, technology & innovation and implemented by Asri. While orbital vehicles have the ability to steer themselves, suborbital rockets used for research can’t do so and therefore must be launched on an accurate flight trajectory, depending on mission requirements.

In testing, two “sounding rockets” reached heights of 16.6km and 11.9km, respectively.

“The unveiling of the national sounding rocket facility is a significant step forward in realising South Africa’s vision of a vibrant and sustainable space ecosystem. As the facility begins operations, it will not only elevate South Africa’s position in global space research, but also inspire the next generation of space scientists, engineers and innovators,” said Sansa. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media