The South African space industry, our contribution to the NCLE, and Black holes, MeerKAT and the SKA

A brief overview of the South African satellite-building industry, some of our achievements, and with special focus on our contribution to the Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) project.

Links nSight-1 to NCLE. Links NCLE to the recent image of a black hole, and then links this to the MeerKAT and SKA projects.

Audience: the general public.

Transcript

1. The South African space industry, our contribution to the NCLE*, and Black holes, MeerKAT and the SKA 1 Koopmanskloof, Stellenbosch, 25 May 2019 Dr. Francois Malan * Netherlands China Low-Frequency Explorer
2. Definition of “Space Sector” Activities related to manufacturing, launch, operation and ownership of devices that go into Earth's orbit or beyond
3. Space is inspiring! Elon Musk, watching launch of Falcon Heavy
4. Space is popular IAC, Bremen, Germany (2018)
5. Space is big business! IAC, Bremen, Germany (2018)
6. Why are satellites so valuable? Current Satellites usually perform four distinct roles: 1. Telecommunication (DSTV) 2. Earth Observation (Google Earth, Weather, etc) 3. Navigation (GPS) 4. Science (Experiments, Astronomy, etc)
7. Future applications Human colonization • Security of the human species • SpaceX (Elon Musk) Image: Bigelow Aerospace
8. Future applications Power generation Image: NASA
9. Future applications : Mining • Planetary Resources (company) already investigating • Access to rate minerals Image: NASA
10. In ZA: a Vibrant sector, but small
11. Showing the world what we (can) do
12. Showing the world what we (can) do
13. Showing the world what we (can) do
14. Space Capability : Where we fit in
15. Let’s zoom in a bit
16. Where we want to go
17. African National Space Agencies / councils
18. ~ 2000 satellites currently in space Of them, 18 are African: • Algeria : 5 • South Africa: 4 • Nigera : 4 • Egypt : 2 • Morocco: 2 • Ghana : 1 African Satellites, in numbers
19. Who has ever indigenously designed a satellite?
20. South African Space Heritage Overberg Test Range: Control Room RSA-3 rocket 1980s – 1994: Government Programmes (launch vehicles)
21. South African Space Heritage Artist’s rendition of GreenSat (EO) Visitors to GreenSat structural model (at Houwteq) 1988-1994: GreenSat (Government)
22. South African Space Heritage SUNSat, integrated into the launch vehicle 1999: SUNSat (Stellenbosch University)
23. South African Space Heritage 2002: Mark Shuttleworth becomes first African Cosmonaut
24. South African Space Heritage 2009: SumbandilaSat (ZA Government)
25. South African Space Heritage 2012-current : EOSat-1 programme (government)
26. South African Space Heritage 2013: TshepisoSat (ZACube-1 / CPUT)
27. South African Space Heritage 2017: ZA-AeroSat & nSight-1 (Stellenbosch Uni, SCS) ZA AeroSat (QB50 AZ01) Stellenbosch University nSight 1 (QB50 AZ02) SCS Space
28. South African Space Heritage 2018: ZACube-2 (CPUT)
29. A bit more about nSight-1 (2017)
30. South-African developed components in red Antenna module UHF/VHF Transceiver (CPUT) EPS and Battery Break-out board OBC and ADCS (CubeSpace) FIPEX (TU Dresden) SCS Gecko Imager Flight Software Hinged solar panel deployment
31. nSight-1 has a camera : the Gecko
32. Deployed from the ISS 25 May 2017 51.6°, 400km orbit. Expected lifetime: 12-18
33. Deployment! 51.6°, 400km orbit. Expected lifetime: 12-18 months
34. The very first image
36. Finding ships “Wild Coast”, Eastern Cape, South Africa (6 November 2017)
37. • Optical Earth Observation South African Commercial products:
38. Bigger and better
39. What is this?
40. First ever photo of a black hole
41. But what is it that you see?
42. • Electromagnetic Waves • High energy particles (e.g. protons, electrons, neutrinos) • Gravity Waves • On-board experiments What can be observed in space?
43. Gravity wave detector = HUGE
44. Almost all satellites “see” and “talk” using only electromagnetic waves Electromagnetic Waves
45. • Transparent to certain frequency bands only Opacity of the atmosphere Gamma X-Ray UV FIR Microwave LW Radio
46. Seeing in different wavelengths
47. MeerKAT’s view of our Milky Way
48. Twinkle, twinkle little star Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. … As your bright and tiny spark Lights the traveller in the dark, Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
49. A clever solution: Interferometry
50. Radio Interferometers VLA, USA
51. Radio Interferometers ALMA, Chile
52. MeerKAT (SKA Precursor) MeerKAT, South Africa
53. Placement of antennas is important MeerKAT, South Africa
54. Placement of antennas is important
55. Longer baselines = More detail MeerKAT, South Africa
56. the Netherlands China Low Frequency Explorer NCLE
57. Chang’e Missions • 1 : Lunar Orbiter (2007) • 2 : Lunar Orbiter (2010) • 3 : Lander + Rover (2013) • 4 : Orbiter + Lander + Rover (2018- 2019) • 5 : Lander + Sample Return (2019) • 6 : Follow-up of Chang’e 5 (2020?) Long March 5 Rocket
58. Video: Chang’e Missions
59. Chang’e 3 (2013) – success Image: CNSA
60. • Originally: a backup for Chang’e 3 – i.e. Lunar lander + Rover • Chang’e 3 was a success – Chang’e 4 mission expanded – Different landing site – More science Chang’e 4
61. Chang’e 4 : three components Image: CNSA (not to scale)
62. Chang’e 3 Landing Site
63. Chang’e 4 Landing Site (far side of Moon) Aitken Basin
64. The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd, 1973
65. “Dark Side”? No, actually “Far Side” Gary Larson, “The Far Side”
66. Far Side of the Moon always faces away Akash Tiwari, http://astronomywithastrophysics.blogspot.co.za/
67. • Smaller mass orbiting larger mass, e.g. – Sun and Earth – Earth and Moon • Gravity in equilibrium L2 = second Lagrange Point Earth Moon
68. Lagrangian Points : animation User:cmglee, Wikimedia Commons
69. CHANG’E 4 MISSION Dr. Marc Klein-Wolt : RRL / NCLE Consortium
70. NCLE on Chang’e 4 The first in many ways.. Launch in May 2018 Payload delivery: QM in October 2017, FM in April 2018 Dr. Marc Klein-Wolt : RRL / NCLE Consortium
71. Chang’e 4 spacecraft
72. Chang’e 4 spacecraft
73. NCLE Science Payload
74. NLCE Development Qualification Model integration of NCLE instrument at ISISpace NCLE Receiver at Radboud Radio Lab Thermal test of NCLE receiver RRL / NCLE Consortium
75. The (first) FM Board : delivered!
76. NCLE receiver & data processing unit
77. Science : Unexplored Frequency Domain Funded through ESA PRODEX progr
78. Detect the history of the Universe Marc Klein-Wolt : RRL / NCLE Consortium Atomic hydrogen emission = 21cm (1.4 GHz) microwave
79. And maybe this
80. Dr. Francois Malan francois@spaceadvisory.com Tel : +27 (0)21 300 0060 http://www.spaceadvisorycompany.com