The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) is set to strengthen its long-standing relationship with CPUT.

This week, SANSA CEO Dr Sandile Malinga visited the Bellville campus and met with Vice-Chancellor Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga and representatives from the French South African Technology Institute (F’SATI) to discuss future collaborations.

Malinga says the work in satellite engineering at F’SATI has been at the core of the relationship between the institutions.

During the past few years, SANSA has shown continued support for ZACUBE-1, a nanosatellite designed and constructed by postgraduate students and staff members at F’SATI. The satellite will be launched later this year and will carry a scientific experiment from SANSA Space Science Directorate in Hermanus.  

Malinga says he is impressed with operations at F’SATI and says CPUT, along with other higher education institutions, will play a key role in the implementation of the national space programme and contribute directly to the development of future satellites and missions.

Head of F’SATI, Prof Robert van Zyl says they are looking forward to a long-term partnership in space science research with SANSA for the benefit of the country and the scientific world.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

The profile of CPUT’s French South African Institute of Technology (F’Sati) has been raised enormously following the Institute’s first Industry Seminar and Exhibition for 2011, held in Cape Town recently. Deputy Director, Prof Robert van Zyl, says F’Sati’s ability to bring key stakeholders in South Africa’s burgeoning space industry together is now unparalleled.

The Departments of Science and Technology (DST) and Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Research Foundation, the South African National Space Agency, leading international space scientists, industry, as well as CPUT’s budding satellite engineers were all present at the high-profile gathering, and, says Prof van Zyl, their feedback has been phenomenal.

"It’s been extremely gratifying to hear praise from delegates about the high levels of technical proficiency we possess. It’s also great to see how our seminars, held three times a year, are growing in scope, content and reputation. In the past, our seminars dealt mainly with technical issues. Now we facilitate seminars which appeal to the whole spectrum of role-players in the Aerospace and Space industries, from Cube-sat workshops, to opportunities for entrepreneurs, to dedicated sessions on space policy and law from a South African perspective."

Deputy Director of F'Sati, Prof Robert van Zyl, with F'sati's Administrative Officer, Cindy Engel, and Local Organising Committee member for the upcoming IAC in October, Margaret Kumalo.

F’Sati’s Chief Technical Architect, Francois Visser agrees. “To expose our students, and ourselves, to these 'big guns', such as EADS Astrium’s Thomas Schirmann, has been an invaluable experience. Astrium is a leading European space company and Schirmann is their Chief Engineer in the Satellite division. Listening first-hand to an engineer of this stature, the man who was instrumental in building the Venus Express, was a magnificent opportunity,” says Visser. 

F’Sati’s Operations Manager and tireless organiser of the seminar, Ian van Zyl, adds that for F’Satis’ students, the opportunity to network and interact with SA’s small space community was fantastic.
“Not only are we giving our students the tools to start their own businesses, but we’re also facilitating interaction with industry so they can forge links for the future."

Excited pupils from Luhlaza High School, who were taught the basics of satellite construction at the seminar.

"And we are very proud of our outreach and awareness programme, where a group of pupils from Luhlaza High are taught how to build mock-satellites. We also teach them a little about satellite and orbital dynamics. This is an important part of our mission to publicise our courses and the wonderful opportunities that are available to bright graduates here at F’Sati."

Prof van Zyl is already looking ahead to F’Sati’s premier event to be held on the 30th September. The three-day Cubesat workshop at CPUT will play host to international delegates from Africa, Europe and the United States. But before this milestone is reached, he’s expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to the sponsors of F’Sati’s first industry seminar for 2011. These include the Aerospace Industry Support Initiative, Eads Astrium, the DTI and the DST.

By Jan Weintrob.

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT’s satellite endeavours have been given the thumbs up by a delegation from the US National Security Department.

The F’SATI satellite programme which is based at the Bellville Campus and headed by Prof Robert van Zyl was visited by the high profile visitors recently during a tour of the country.

Head of the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Frank Rose inspected the continent’s first cubesat and chatted with the team of students and lecturers who helped build it.

“I am very impressed by your space policy but most importantly I think the emphasis placed on training the next generation is key,” Rose told the meeting.

The US delegation have strong links to NASA and it is hoped the meeting will help strengthen the professional partnerships between the two space programmes.

The CubeSat is expected to be launched into space mid-October and at the moment students are putting the final touches to it making sure it is ready for the rigours of space.

By LAUREN KANSLEY

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT’s nano-satellite research has caught the attention of the Bavarian government and a recent symposium explored ways of leveraging this interest.

The symposium saw a delegation of Bavarian government officials and academics meeting their South African counterparts at CPUT’s Bellville campus to discuss nano-satellite Earth Observation Applications as Catalyst for International Collaboration as well as view the facilities at CPUT’s French South African Institute of Technology (F'SATI).

The partners in the collaboration are CPUT, F’SATI, Stellenbosch University, Cube Space, the South African Department of Science and Technology, the Bavarian government and universities, the National Research Foundation and the South African National Space Agency.

Dr John Volmink, CPUT’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, said Space Science Engineering and Technology is one of the university’s research focus areas.

Volmink added that the university’s satellite programme has been supported by the national government.

Prof Robert van Zyl, head of F’SATI at CPUT said marine protection and ocean governance is one of the four critical areas which were explored by the South African government to unlock the potential of the country’s vast coastline.

Amal Khatri, Executive Director at South African National Space Agency (SANSA) said low-cost satellites are more viable and have better access to funding.

“There is a need to invest in nano-satellites,” added Khatri.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Four academics in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment have achieved National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings for 2021 - 2026.

The four staff members were Dr Asis Patnaik (Department of Clothing and Textile Technology) who was awarded with a C2 rating, Dr Bongani Ncube (Civil Engineering and Surveying) and Prof Robert Van Zyl (Electrical Electronic and Computer Engineering) both achieved a C3 rating while Dr Velaphi Msomi (Mechanical Engineering) a Y2 rating.

The Faculty’s Dean, Prof Marshall Sheldon, said the NRF rating system is a key driver in the national science system towards global competitiveness. Sheldon added that the ratings are based on a review system through local and international peers of an individual’s research contributions and impact over the last eight years.

“We are proud to have these esteemed researchers as part of our faculty. What an achievement and keep up the good work,” said the ecstatic Dean.

Ncube, a researcher at the Centre for Water and Sanitation Research, said the C rating is awarded to established researchers with a sustained recent record of productivity in the field, who are recognised by their peers as having:

Produced a body of quality work, the core of which has coherence and attests to ongoing engagement with the field; and

Demonstrated the ability to conceptualise problems and apply research methods to investigate them.

“A C 3 rating means that most of the reviewers who assessed my application concurred that I am an established researcher,” added Ncube.

This rating allows her to pause and reflect on the direction of her research based on what both the local and international reviewers recommended. “When I came to South Africa about eight years ago I picked on research that was already taking place. I then developed my niche research areas in water and agriculture,” she continued. “So, now I need to decide on a specialisation area that integrates both.”

She perceives her new rating as acknowledgment and confirmation that her research is of good quality and that she is on the right track. She added that for CPUT it means the institution’s status is rising as more researchers get counted among leaders in their research fields.

Msomi’s Y2 rating is a category that is awarded to researchers who are younger than 40 years and have their research output recognised internationally. He has been given this rating for five years, after which there will be a review. The review will look at whether he is growing or not. “If I have achieved more during this five-year period, I will then be put to another category which is higher than Y ratings such as C, B and A. The rating comes with funding,” he explains.

This rating means Msomi is ranked as one of the top researchers in the country. The number of rated researchers in an institution also contributes towards the ranking of the university. This means there will be a fraction of points that CPUT will gain from this rating.  

Msomi still doesn’t believe that he is a rated researcher and this is due to his rural educational background. “So I think it will take maybe a year for me to believe that I am a rated researcher... I believe this rating will encourage other researchers in my Department to give research a different view. I also believe that this rating will encourage my postgraduate students in taking their studies more seriously than before.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The CPUT Satellite Programme recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus about presenting technical seminars on the university campus.

The Satellite Programme’s partnership with Airbus dates back to 2009 when the programme was first established with government support through the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

French South African Institute of Technology Director Prof Robert van Zyl explained under that first MoU, Airbus Defence and Space (then EADS Astrium) presented technical seminars by their senior engineers during the F’Sati Space Industry Seminar series.

The most recently signed MoU will facilitate the continuation of these industry seminars. The two parties wanted to rework their agreement to mention they would work together in the frame of the CPUT Space engineering and CubeSat programmes. The agreement sets out the terms under which the two parties will co-operate to perform activities for the education and training of the next generation of South African space engineers, promote the Satellite engineering programme and support the setting up and implementation of the South African Space mission.

“The seminars have been very popular, attracting participants from all spheres of the industry, namely academic, industry, government, and not only from South Africa, but the region as well,” said Van Zyl.

The Satellite Programme has since its establishment matured into an internationally recognised and nationally strategic centre that develops skills vital to the national and regional space industries. CPUT’s second nano-satellite ZACube-2 is due to be launched into outer space on 25 December.

“Africa is also at an exciting junction of its space programme, having adopted the African Space Policy and Strategies. Formalising partnerships with a global leader in the space industry such as Airbus strengthens our ability to provide our students with an international perspective on the space industry and exposes our space industry to global technology trends,” said Van Zyl.

He thanked Airbus for their continued commitment to F’Sati and CPUT specifically and the industry at large. “We also want to take this opportunity to thank DST and its agencies for their unwavering support.”

Written by Theresa Smith
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Former NASA head, Major General Charles Bolden Jr inspired CPUT students with a heartfelt description of his path to the stars. 

Bellville campus was just one stop on his whirlwind tour around Cape Town this week as a US State Department Science Envoy. The former astronaut will travel to several places around the world for the next year, talking about their work in space aeronautics and exploration.

After a walk around the DEECE building’s various laboratories, Bolden asked F’SATI director Prof Robert van Zyl several questions about the capabilities of ZACube-2. He worked what he learned about CPUT’s second nano-satellite into his motivation speech, encouraging the students present to aim for the stars.

He described NASA’s history and trajectory before delving into their four focus areas of study. He explained some of their current and future projects such as working on experimental aeroplanes, researching the human body on the International Space Station, the James Webb telescope, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Parker Solar Probe which is en route to the outer corona of the sun.

Bolden sees the 2020s as the decade that humankind goes back to the moon while the 2030s will probably see us send humans to Mars, though he does not think that will be a permanent trip. “I think we should send you there for long periods of time, you do a lot of research and then come back home,” he said.

The 72-year-old spoke about what it felt like to go into outer space, describing his realisation that he was ill-prepared for the emotional experience of seeing Earth in its entirety for the first time and not being able to tell a single country from another.

He explained how he “stumbled” into his space career after being inspired by black physicist astronaut Ron McNair. Bolden never entertained the notion of becoming an astronaut, but had to rethink his own blinkers after a weekend spent in McNair’s company.

“Before he left he said he had a question for me, ‘would I apply for the space programme’ and I said ‘not on your life’. He looked at me real strange because he was convinced that he had convinced me that I should apply. I said ‘no, they’ll never pick me’ and he looked at me and said ‘you know, that is the dumbest thing I ever heard. How do you know if you don’t ask?’

“So I think my message to you is ‘how do you know if you don’t ask?’ If there is something you want to do, you really have to ask for it, you’ve got to be willing to work really hard. So, study hard, work hard, do not be afraid of failure. Don’t let somebody else put a limitation on you.”

He described the technology currently being studied at CPUT as the driving force behind all future endeavours: “You are learning how to capture the capabilities that come with technologies. You’re doing some incredible work here on the campus and that’s going to be the key to South Africa’s future and the key to the future of humanity.

“As one of your professors mentioned earlier, you’re looking at communication. We fancy up stuff a little too much sometimes, it’s really the basics that we have to remember. We’re looking for different ways to communicate with each other and the planet and that’s what we do through satellite technology. It gives us the capability to learn more about the planet on which we live by leaving it,” said Bolden.

Written by Theresa Smith
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The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded R3.3 million in student bursaries to the pioneering French South African Institute of Technology at CPUT.

F’SATI director Prof Robert van Zyl said the institute was grateful for the support from the NRF, which has provided more than R12 million in bursaries to students from the institute since 2009.

“This year’s award is the biggest grant so far,” said Van Zyl.

“Awards like these are crucial for the development of our students at a time when many students and their families are struggling financially. It will help to ensure the sustained growth of the institute, which will support the growth of the space industry in South Africa.”

The award will support six BTech students, 17 new Masters students, 10 continuing Masters students, four new doctoral students, one continuing doctoral student while a grant for staff development was also made.

The award comes as F’SATI prepares for the launch of ZACube-2, the most advanced South African CubeSat to date.

ZACube-2 follows on the success of TshepisoSAT (code named ZACUBE-1), Africa’s first cubesat, which was launched into space in November 2013. 

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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As the global community celebrates World Space Week, the CPUT is currently developing its fourth satellite mission, called M2MSat.

The M2MSat follows on from the University’s successful development, launch and operation of the ZACube-1 and ZACube-2 satellite missions. The Institution also developed the MDASat-1 constellation which is scheduled for launch this summer to demonstrate its current Automatic Identification System (AIS) capabilities in a constellation.

Africa Space Innovation Centre and French South African Institute of Technology (F'SATI) Director, Prof Robert van Zyl highlights the importance of the Operation Phakisa, a fast-track implementation of the South African National Development Plan, which focuses on two key areas; ocean economy and healthcare.  “With the expansion of South African waters, a special need is emerging for effective Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).”

M2MSat is being built on this heritage by focusing on MDA, expanding the on-orbit data gathering capacity of the payload and adding payload features. “The M2MSat mission will continue growing expertise within CPUT and its key technology partners and validate the technology innovations that result from it, Van Zyl explains.

Earlier this year, the University successfully presented M2MSat’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) to its stakeholders. The Software-Defined Radio payload also passed its Critical Design Review (CDR) phase in June 2021. 

“It is envisaged that the launch of the M2MSat constellation can be at the end of 2022 or early 2023.”

He says the M2MSat consists of two 3U form factor CubeSat nanosatellites, each carrying a payload designed to track ships in the South African Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Van Zyl adds that the M2MSat mission will demonstrate the very high frequency (VHF) Data Exchange System (VDES) capabilities of a new Software Defined Radio (SDR) payload for satellite-to-ship and ship-to-satellite communication. “The M2MSat mission hosts an improved payload compared to ZACube-2 and MDASat-1. Some of the additional improvements are that the SDR payload can transmit and receive in the marine VHF band.

“A portal (website) shall also be implemented as part of the ground segment to allow end-users to upload and download Data Exchange System (VDE)S data to and from maritime nodes,” Van Zyl remarks. The M2MSat mission is funded by the Technology Innovation Agency which is an agency of the Department of Science and Innovation.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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