South African Space Potential

[propstrap]

This caught me by surprise. I saw on a News24 article (excerpt and link below, excerpt as there is a paywall) of the University of KZN being granted research funding for 3D printed rocket engine manufacturing. Just wow, hope they progress well!

https://aerospace.ukzn.ac.za/about/

https://www.news24.com/fin24/tech/edge- ... s-20241109

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will share R2 million in research funding from the UK government to improve 3D-printing techniques for rocket engine components.

The UKZN Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI) and the University of Glasgow Space and Exploration Technology Group have initiated a research partnership to develop space propulsion technologies.

Situated within the UKZN engineering department, the ASRI focuses on the design, manufacture, and testing of rocket propulsion systems.

Professor Michael Brooks, the co-founder and director of the ASRI, told News24 that 3D printing, known in industry by the broader term additive manufacturing, first emerged as a prototype technology for aerospace applications in the 1970s. He said that the manufacturing technique has started to be widely used for rockets in the last two decades.

[Fransw]

Talking of which:(check out this local company)

" Innovator of the Year® – James Barrington Brown, CEO of NewSpace Systems. His cost-effective space component manufacturing and design firm dedicated to supplying components to global space programmes exports to over 33 countries across six continents and is focused on further expanding its market share."

www.newspacesystems.com

[87Juliet]

I heard it’s called Project Moonto

[Fransw]

I heard it’s called Project Moonto

Net solank dit nie project Moertoe is nie..

[Marno]

I heard it’s called Project Moonto

Net solank dit nie project Moertoe is nie..

[propstrap]

And why do you say that Marno, do you have info on that?

When I look at their web and news, I see a lot of expertise doing what universities do best, explore and develop. There has been a lot of game changing innovations from our fair country, and seeing nothing negative but only positives from Prof Michael Brooks and his team, and the Aerospace Systems Research Institute, let's cheer them on and see what they come up with. If the project dies, everyone in SA loses on their innovation, on the other hand, should they succeed...

Just to add, SA has developed a fledgling space capability, dismantled due to political changes, but it was there.

[Marno]

Even better if 'ol Elon can reflect on at least somewhat of his roots from SA and boost their funding, after all they all share the same passion.

[snoopy]

SA was just too far ahead of its time in the 80s...then in the early 90s it could not get commercial clients, that's why all of it was pretty much ditched except for sat R&D - but maybe now with the small size of sats it may be viable to launch again from here at least for some orbits, provided there are buying clients this time round.