By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation
conducted an oversight visit to the Denel Overberg Test Range (OTR) in Arniston
to evaluate the state of South Africa’s aerospace infrastructure. The
delegation, accompanied by officials from the Department of Science, Technology
and Innovation (DSTI) and the South African National Space Agency (SANSA),
engaged with leadership on the strategic direction of national space
operations.
OTR
CEO Bridget Salo highlighted the facility’s world-class testing capabilities,
stressing the need for “better alignment” among national stakeholders to fully
leverage the site’s potential. SANSA CEO Humbulani Mudau outlined plans to
develop indigenous launch capabilities, emphasizing the role of sovereign
assets in driving “Space Economic Diplomacy” and domestic industry growth.
Dr.
Kenny Tenza from DSTI noted that ongoing investments are already supporting the
Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI) in developing liquid propellant
rockets, a critical component for technology advancement and training future
engineers. The visit reaffirmed the importance of South Africa’s infrastructure
in building sovereign capacity for independent space access.
