[FPSPACE] South African update

[Keith Gottschalk]

from South African Press Association (SAPA) 16 January 2009

     "President Kgalema Motlanthe yesterday signed a bill which will
see South Africa set up its own space agency. Science & Technology
Department spokesman Nhlanhla Nyide said the act could pull together all
space-related activities. The agency will oversee development of space
missions, develop technology platforms and acquire, assimilate and
disseminate space satellite data."

     It's happy news, in which I played a small role, as a member of
the Policy & Technical committee of our Space Affairs Council of South
Africa (SACSA), a statutory entity within our Department of Trade &
Industry, that cooperates closely with our Department of Science  &
Technology.

    I remember hearing a NASA  accountant tell me a decade ago that
NASA's annual budget equals the Pentagon budget per two days. No doubt
South Africa's space agency budget for its first financial year will in
turn equal NASA's budget per two days!  I did hear someone verbally
hoping for an annual budget of ZAR 500 million (roughly $ 50m.), but
that was before the current global credit crisis started. What we will
actually get, we'll no doubt find out within months.

warm regards, Keith
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