The innovative use of space technology by a Cape Town-based space engineering company is currently on display at the biannual Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) expo that is being conducted in Pretoria this week.
SCS Aerospace Group, South Africa’s largest private satellite concern, is showcasing a number of new, home-grown satellite products at AAD, which runs until the end of this week. The products include the new, lightweight, high-performance satellite, the SCS150, designed for global environmental and infrastructure monitoring as well as a mission overview of a privately funded technology demonstration satellite destined to do various scientific experiments and test some of their new advanced electronics in space.
The SCS150 is capable of providing 0.9 meter resolution persistent video and 3.6 meter resolution multispectral imaging. This unique configuration allows this satellite to be launched as part of a multi-satellite constellation and can be thrust to the assigned orbital slot via a single small to medium class launch vehicle. The SCS150 was developed to form part of a set of Earth Observation (EO) satellites that can provide near-continuous coverage applied in disaster management, city planning, border monitoring, maritime assets and infrastructure monitoring.
The SCS Gecko Imager for smallsats.
After the current AAD expo, the company products will go on display at the International Astronautical Congress in Gaudalajara, Mexico from September 26th to 30th as part of their mission to expand their presence in the global, small satellite market.
According to Dr. Sias Mostert, the Chairman of SCS Aerospace Group, his company will also be testing the technology of their newly developed SCS Gecko, an ultra-compact imager that was specifically developed for the smallsat market as well as engage in some radiation tests on re-programmable electronics on South Africa's first privately funded small satellite, which is due for an early 2017 launch.
The satellite will also manage a number of important experiments as part of a contribution to the QB50 international science mission. This includes measuring atomic oxygen flux in Earth’s lower atmosphere which is a crucial parameter in the correlation and validation of atmospheric models. The radiation experiments are done in conjunction with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to test radiation hardening of re-programmable electronics in space using a proprietary and patented IP technology they developed.
..In The Pursuit Of SmallSat Expertise…
SmallSat Symposium—Silicon Valley 2017
Workshop: Monday, February 6th, 2017
Symposium: Tuesday, February 7th — Wednesday, February 8th
Venue: Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California
As with any industry trade event, one of the major draws as far as the time commitment necessary for attendance most assuredly revolves around the expertise that will be offered to those who participate... is the ROI for event participation and the hoped-for knowledge acquisition worth a company's or an individual's engagement at the venue?
For the SmallSat Symposium, just reading through the list of subject-matter experts who will be presenting at this event should offset any doubts as to the value of "being there." SmallSat Symposium—Silicon Valley in 2017 will offer a superior blending of expertise and unparalleled networking opportunities with the industry's smallsat, SATCOM and MILSATCOM actors.
This extraordinary event will be held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, which happens to be a perfect location for the technology-rich smallsat environs.
Listed below are the accepted speakers to date, in alphabetical order, for the SmallSat Symposium.
The Speakers…
- Chad Anderson, Managing Director
Space Angels Network
The first 100 registrations qualify for a $200 discount off the standard event admission —take advantage of this savings and register to attend the SmallSat Symposium today! Register Now...
For information regarding the various workshops, please select this direct link.