[Image: NASA / Facebook]
South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, currently embroiled in a public feud with U.S. President Donald Trump, has expressed interest in launching SpaceX rockets, and potentially Starlink satellites, from South African soil.
According to sources familiar with a closed-door meeting held at the White House following a high-profile clash between Trump and South African officials, Musk raised two key issues involving South Africa. These were the potential uses of the Denel Overberg Test Range near Arniston for rocket launches, and concerns over the global shortage of magnets dependent on rare earth elements, which are increasingly restricted by China.
While Musk reportedly did not mention Starlink during the meeting, the satellite internet service has been a topic of public discussion in South Africa.
The government has initiated a review of its Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy as it relates to companies like Starlink, though no resolution is expected in the near term.
MyBroadband reports that two sources in South Africa’s space industry confirmed SpaceX’s interest in the Overberg facility for launching satellites on polar orbits and for deploying Starlink LEO satellites to expand broadband access.
The Overberg site is the product of the Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI), led by Professor Michael Brooks at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Officially inaugurated in May last year, the site successfully launched two suborbital rockets in December.
ASRI’s mission is to develop a homegrown commercial space launch capability for South Africa. More than 30 significant space companies and start-ups are based in South Africa. They collaborate with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA).
ASRI aims to launch payload-carrying rockets capable of putting satellites in orbit by 2028. If an agreement is reached with SpaceX, it might be interested in investing to speed up the construction of facilities to launch rockets into orbit sooner.
The December launches tested a newly commissioned, six-storey-high gantry, which performed flawlessly, according to several reports, as did the South African-made rockets, reaching altitudes of 16,6 km and 11,9 km, respectively.
One payload successfully measured the Earth’s magnetic field and flight data during the flight, which lasted for approximately 400 seconds.
Africa is currently experiencing a boom in the commercial space business, with more than 400 companies operating on the continent outside South Africa. South Africa is also working with the European Space Agency (ESA).
[Source: Mybroadband]
