South Africa's MDASat-1 launching aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket tomorrow

[Jan]

South Africa launching three nanosatellites in R27 million project

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Blade Nzimande announced that South Africa is gearing up to launch three locally produced nanosatellites on Thursday, 13 January 2022.

The three nanosatellites (MDASat-1) are the first of the Department of Science and Innovation’s (DSI) Maritime Domain Awareness Satellite (MDASat) constellation.

 

[emperornemesis]

Is it just me, or are we missing space for a payload. Cubesats are normally 10 cubic centimeters, which means there is basically no space for fuel to maintain an orbit. This means that the satellites normally only stay in orbit for 6 months to two years, which means that this is yet another expensive waste of money to try and score more political points. Looking at the expenditure on failed infrastructure projects, this seems to be one of those pie-in-the-sky projects that won't last very long and will be of very very very limited use.

 

[swim]

Is it just me, or are we missing space for a payload. Cubesats are normally 10 cubic centimeters, which means there is basically no space for fuel to maintain an orbit. This means that the satellites normally only stay in orbit for 6 months to two years, which means that this is yet another expensive waste of money to try and score more political points. Looking at the expenditure on failed infrastructure projects, this seems to be one of those pie-in-the-sky projects that won't last very long and will be of very very very limited use.

They have zero clue

 

[Kodi]

What reporting is this?

The first stage always causes a sonic boom when landing..... every time.

aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is called Transporter-3.

According to reports, the rocket is expected to cause sonic booms as it breaks the sound barrier on the way back to the landing pad.

 

[The Trutherizer]

But we can't even print driving licences...

Priorities eh.

 

[adrianx]

Why? Cuba/China will help us to investigate this thing where someone sends lighting to someone else.

 

[emperornemesis]

But we can't even print driving licences...

Priorities eh.

The licenses will from now on be printed using a Chinese machine in outer space. Every week, a satellite will be launched with the details of the cards that needs to be printed, at a cost of millions, of which half would go into ANC pockets, and then the printed licenses will burn up on re-entry, and you will be fined R1m just because you don't have a license card. Just as a side note, the Chinese printer will need to be services every 28 hours, and that will attract an additional cost of about R Eleventy million 6 hundred and 7 thousand million, listen properly.......

 

[markings]

Sonic boom, eh? Very important. Will we hear it?

 

[emperornemesis]

Sonic boom, eh? Very important. Will we hear it?

6 months from now yes, when it becomes evident that half the money went to the ANC again.

 

[RaptorSA]

 

[Jan]

Watch Elon Musk's SpaceX launch three satellites for South Africa

 

[emperornemesis]

They have zero clue

Did some rather quick research, only to find that the launch of one cubesat come in under R1mil. Three satellites would thus set us back about R3mil, which leaves R24mil unaccounted for. Taking the small size of the satellites , and their "off the shelf components" into account, and I am still left with more questions than answers. Seems about R20mil could have gone the way of the ANC again.

 

[Exaelea]

This will only work for a week to a month, then a committee needs to be formed and investigate as to why it stopped working.
A new building for R1.5Billion needs to be built for this committee to do their investigations, along with 5 BMW x5's.
...and then the repair people will go on a strike for low wages.

 

[emperornemesis]

This will only work for a week to a month, then a committee needs to be formed and investigate as to why it stopped working.
A new building for R1.5Billion needs to be built for this committee to do their investigations, along with 5 BMW x5's.
...and then the repair people will go on a strike for low wages.

You forgot, Cosatu will get involved, call a general strike in the "desktop stationery" sector, call for a investigation into why some people can send lightening to universities with colonial subjects, and it will be cited as the reason why Jacob Zuma cannot be jailed, because his star is so bright, that it will keep the next 27 satellites in orbit around his shiny and empty head.