Africa in Space, Part 1: South Africa, SANSA, and Dragonfly Aerospace

In 2002,  a representative from South Africa traveled to space for the first and, thus far, only time. That year, the entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, a citizen of both South Africa and the United States, became the second-ever space tourist and spent eight days on the ISS. Nevertheless, despite being home to more than two dozen space agencies and research centers that coordinate space activities in individual countries, Africa is not typically associated with major space-related events. This article will explore South Africa’s contribution to the development of space technologies across the continent and its space-related companies that have achieved global success.

How South Africa became Africa’s space leader 

Astronomical research in what is now South Africa actually began more than 200 years ago. In 1820, the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope was established, making it the first scientific institution in Africa at the time. Today, it is known as the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). Many years ago, South Africa became a key location for receiving data from satellites in Earth’s orbit and beyond. In 1961, NASA built the Hartebeesthoek ground tracking station near Johannesburg, which played a crucial role in supporting the Apollo missions in the 1960s. The station is still operational today and is now owned by the South African National Research Foundation.

After the end of apartheid, South Africa’s policy of racial discrimination, the country made significant progress in science, technology, and innovation. The establishment of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) in 2010 expanded the country’s space activities and contributed to the development of the national space program and space technologies in both the public and private sectors.  

SANSA’s work is primarily focused on Earth and environmental monitoring, involving the collection and processing of data used to ensure the stable operation of navigation and telecommunications systems, as well as weather forecasting services. This has been made possible by Africa’s only Space Weather Warning Center, which is located in South Africa. The data it gathers is also used in the defense sector.  

South Africa’s path to satellite development began with the launch of SunSat in 1999. Designed for Earth observation, radio data transmission experiments, and educational purposes, the project involved more than a hundred students from Stellenbosch University. In 2009, the microsatellite SumbandilaSat, also known as ZASAT-002, was launched for Earth observation, specifically for monitoring and managing disasters such as floods, oil spills, and wildfires in South Africa. These launches were key milestones in building experience in space missions and played a significant role in advancing satellite engineering in the country.

South Africa is currently among the top five African countries with the highest number of satellites, and as of August 2024, it had launched 13 satellites. Another one, this time a radar satellite, is planned for 2025. It will be used for continuous real-time remote radar sensing, covering the entire continent.  

The satellite will provide new surveillance capabilities for defense and intelligence services, assist in disaster management, and support infrastructure and crop monitoring. Overall, South Africa aims to maximize the use of its own space technologies and achieve independent launch capabilities by the end of the decade.

South Africa’s international partnerships in the space sector

South Africa is currently involved in several international space science projects, including partnerships with NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos. This cooperation allows the country to participate in global space missions while also strengthening its own space capabilities.  

NASA’s relationship with South Africa, however, has not always been straightforward. In 1961, the agency built a tracking station in the country for monitoring probes sent to explore space beyond Earth’s orbit: the Deep Space Instrumentation Facility (DSIF). However, by the summer of 1971, the station was shut down as a result of growing international opposition to the apartheid regime, which was dominated by the white minority.

The next phase of cooperation with NASA came in 1999, when the United States helped South Africa launch the SunSat satellite, and the partnership is currently expanding, including a project to build a new deep-space ground station in Matjiesfontein, located in the Western Cape province. This facility will play a key role in supporting communications for future U.S. Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars.  

South Africa will be the fourth country, after the United States, Australia, and Spain, to host a deep-space ground station. The location, climate, and infrastructure made Matjiesfontein an ideal site for the antenna, which will enable near-continuous communication between Earth and astronauts aboard spacecraft.  

At the same time, however, South Africa is also strengthening its collaboration with China. In August 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed two agreements with South Africa on cooperation in space projects. One focused on crewed spaceflight, while the other included South Africa in the team for the planned Chinese-Russian International Lunar Research Station.  

In addition to partnerships with the U.S. and China, South Africa is also working with the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2024, SANSA became the 28th regional support office of UN-SPIDER, the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response. This partnership will improve disaster management and reduce response times using data obtained from space research.

First payload tests on a suborbital sounding rocket

In December 2024, South Africa’s aerospace sector witnessed a landmark event: SANSA successfully tested its specialized payload on a suborbital sounding rocket launched from a newly built platform at the Denel Overberg Test Range in Arniston. The payload, developed by SANSA in collaboration with the Czech Technical University, measured Earth’s magnetic field during a flight lasting approximately 400 seconds. During this time, SANSA’s telemetry system successfully transmitted magnetic and flight data in real-time, enabling South Africa to push ahead with similar research and further strengthen its position in the global scientific community.  

The Denel Overberg rocket platform became operational on December 3, 2024, and will support next-generation aerospace projects, allowing for suborbital rocket launches, advanced rocket system testing and preparation, and the expansion of research activities. The platform and rocket tests were successful, covering the planned distances, while the upgraded AMR magnetometer, along with an array of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and telemetry systems, collected precise data on Earth’s magnetic field.

One of the two most revolutionary new telescopes in the world will be in South Africa 

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) has the potential to revolutionize astronomy and drive advancements in related fields such as astrophysics and cosmology. This project is based on a new generation of radio telescopes, organized into massive arrays. The radio dishes and antennas are located on two continents, Africa and Australia, making it an international initiative. The project’s name, the Square Kilometre Array, reflects early plans to use only antennas and dishes with a total effective area of one square kilometer. Unfortunately, due to funding constraints, this goal was never fully realized.  

The array of 197 antennas in South Africa, known as SKA-Mid, will operate at radio frequencies ranging from 350 MHz to 15.4 GHz. The distance between individual antennas will reach up to 150 km, and their total effective coverage area will span 33,000 km². The largest dishes will be installed in the Karoo region. As the project expands, additional antennas will be placed in neighboring countries, such as Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, and Madagascar.  

Once completed, SKAO will be the most powerful instrument of its kind in the world. Scientific research using the observatory is expected to begin in 2028–29, though the timeline may shift. In the meantime, check out one of the promotional materials dedicated to this ambitious project:

Development of South Africa’s private space sector 

The African continent is currently experiencing a NewSpace boom, with more than 500 companies operating in the sector. Of these, over 30 major companies and startups are based in South Africa.  

The term “NewSpace” describes a new type of commercial space company and characterizes the modern wave of commercialization and privatization in the space industry. In this model, the private sector plays a key role in developing, manufacturing, and operating space technologies in collaboration with national space agencies.  

The already well-developed segment of remote sensing and Earth observation in this part of the continent continues to expand, driven by the growing need for climate monitoring to support precision agriculture technologies. Meanwhile, the development of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) services is fueling demand for smart infrastructure applications.  

PyraLink Aerospace is South Africa’s space launch pioneer, and is currently engaged in designing and operating launch vehicles capable of placing satellites into orbit. Among the most successful South African space companies, including Dragonfly Aerospace, NewSpace Systems, Cubespace, and Simera Sense, have attracted significant investments, created new jobs, and continue to drive the growth of the private aerospace sector.

Dragonfly Aerospace is South Africa’s leader in space innovation

Dragonfly Aerospace, headquartered in the Stellenbosch Techno Park near Cape Town, is one of South Africa’s largest private space companies. It offers commercial satellite solutions and advanced engineering services, including payload development and operational solutions using space and related technologies.  

The company was founded in 2019 by five engineers led by Brian Dean. Initially, their goal was to establish mass production of satellites and payloads for small and microsatellites. Today, however, the company is best known for its imaging systems, which capture high-quality satellite images with enhanced resolution. Aerospace engineers are already quite familiar with its CubeSat imaging products, such as the Gecko imager, the Mantis imager, Chameleon, and others.  

The company’s chosen development strategy is well-founded: Euroconsult experts predict that by 2029, the global Earth observation data and services market will reach $8 billion. Additionally, by the end of the decade, more than 50 new space companies plan to launch over 1,800 small Earth observation satellites weighing less than 50 kg.

Dragonfly Aerospace actively collaborates with international partners and, in February 2022, announced a partnership with the Australian Government’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI). As part of this project, Dragonfly Aerospace provided a high-performance Gecko camera for a satellite used in testing onboard machine learning technologies. This partnership opened the door for further use of small satellites to enhance data collection and processing.  

According to Dragonfly Aerospace’s CEO, Brian Dean, “The Gecko camera and optical system from Dragonfly Aerospace will improve the satellite’s imaging capabilities and enhance the quality of images sent back to ONI.”  

The same camera, this time installed on the LICIACube satellite, was used by NASA during its 2022 DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission. This was the first successful attempt by humans to  deliberately alter the trajectory of a celestial object. The Gecko camera captured the moment of the DART probe’s impact with the asteroid Dimorphos, providing valuable data for assessing the feasibility of orbit modification.

In early 2023, Dragonfly Aerospace launched its first satellite, EOS SAT-1, aboard a SpaceX rocket as part of the Transporter-6 mission. EOS SAT-1 was one of only two out of 114 satellites launched by various companies and became the first private Ukrainian satellite in space. Equipped with two high-precision DragonEye cameras, the satellite collected Earth surface data to support informed decision-making in agriculture.  

Another major milestone for Dragonfly Aerospace was the development of a line of COTS and ITAR-Free space components that meet the European Space Agency’s ECSS standards. In August 2024, the company announced that these components had reached Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL 9), confirming their reliability and high performance in extreme space conditions. The new product line can be integrated into various space missions.  

In January 2025, Dragonfly Aerospace announced a partnership with the Australian Earth observation company LatConnect 60. The company will receive three state-of-the-art Chameleon SWIR (shortwave infrared) thermal imagers for its upcoming SWIRSAT satellite constellation, expected to launch in 2026. This collaboration will expand Earth observation capabilities and potentially benefit various industries by enabling the collection of precise geospatial data.  

While South Africa remains a leader in space technology, other African nations are also developing their space programs, albeit at a slower pace. To learn more about the current state of Africa’s space industry and which other countries are making strides in space technology, read the second part of our article.