Pretoria — Rural communities stand to benefit from critical information gathered by the first South African owned and developed low earth-orbiting satellite, SumbandilaSAT.

The Department of Science and Technology says the satellite's observations would support decision-making in areas including land use and distribution, agriculture, disaster management, natural resource management, infrastructure planning, urban planning and housing developments.

"The satellite is expected to stay in orbit for three years, but we have made preparations for it to remain in orbit for up to five years," Mothibi Ramusi, manager of the Satellite Applications Center at the Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) told BuaNews today.

SumbandilaSAT's observation equipment will take pictures of the earth with a high resolution camera, which has sensors designed to provide strategic information for numerous stakeholders.

The images could then be used as visual aids to monitor and analyse climate trends.

The satellite's communications equipment will provide telecommunications services, primarily emails and data, based on a "store and forward" principle.

Mr Ramusi said this particular payload could benefit communities where telecommunications infrastructure is non-existent.

"Receiving terminals can be erected at various schools, clinics, post offices and Multi Purpose Community Centres (MPCCs) thereby allowing surrounding communities to utilise the service for e-mail communications."

Mr Ramusi explained that as the satellite passes over South Africa, users who would have erected receiving stations at their premises will be able to send and receive e-mails.

In addition to e-mails, Mr Ramusi said the communications payload can be used to transmit data on dam levels from a ground sensor to a satellite, after which the data can be forwarded to water authorities using the store and forward principles.

The data gathered would be useful in informing communities about pending water management developments.

SumbandilaSat will also play a complimentary role to other satellite sensors with regards to the monitoring of climatic occurrences such as floods and fires.

Universities near rural communities would also be able to partner with industry specialists to develop capacity building and outreach programs to attract locals into the field of space technology.

"The ultimate goal is to grow capacity in the space science and technology domain, to develop new industries and make certain that even rural communities are part of the process," said Mr Ramusi.

The Department has invested R26 million into the project, which Mr Ramusi told BuaNews, was part of government's drive to increase the country's capacity and usage of space technology to address development needs.

SumbandilaSAT will be launched from a submarine off the coast of Russia in December.

This follows the "Agreement on Co-operation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes" signed between South Africa and Russia, during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit in September. -