South Africa Launches Its First Suborbital Sounding Rocket Facility at Denel Overberg Test Range

The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, unveiled a suborbital sounding rocket launch facility at the Denel Overberg Test Range in the Western Cape on 3 December 2024.

Funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, and implemented by the Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the facility is a first for South Africa and a landmark achievement in the advancement of aerospace technology and innovation in South Africa.

The space infrastructure program funded by the DSTI and built by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Aerospace Systems Research Institute is a demonstration of what the combined efforts, resources and expertise of government, industry and institutions of knowledge production can achieve, working together for one national goal. This facility here today is a beacon of this partnership.

– Ms Nomalungelo Gina, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation

Designed to serve as a pivotal resource for next-generation aerospace projects, the facility will be used for testing and preparing advanced rocket systems, support critical research initiatives and drive technological progress in the aerospace industry.

According to the Deputy Minister, the facility is a significant step in the country’s endeavours to establish launch capability.

This gantry is a national asset that will be used to launch suborbital rockets built by ASRI, but can also accommodate much larger solid-propellant vehicles of the type operated by space-faring nations, including other potential international clients on the continent and worldwide.

– Ms Nomalungelo Gina, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation

Unlike orbital launch vehicles that can steer themselves, suborbital rockets are unguided and must therefore be launched off a gantry that can be accurately aimed, depending on the required flight trajectory, mission requirements and safety risks.

The new launch gantry has a state-of-the-art aiming and control system to allow the boom to rotate through 360 degrees in the horizontal plane, while also enabling elevation up to the vertical position. This permits pinpoint aiming accuracy in any direction and fast adjustment to account for factors like changes in wind direction on launch days.

Standing as tall as a six-storey building when vertical, the boom can be lowered into the horizontal position during loading of the rocket on to the rail as well as for fitting of ground support systems to enable fuelling and the launch of the vehicle.

Prof. Mike Brooks, Director of ASRI, highlighted that facility is equipped for advanced rocket testing, propulsion system development, and flight-testing new technologies. It also supports research in aerospace innovation, ensuring safe and efficient operations.

The facility is designed to enable suborbital sounding rocket missions into the high atmosphere, and beyond into space. Many countries use sounding rockets to conduct research related to atmospheric physics, radiation and magnetism in regions that are too high for balloons and too low for orbiting satellites.

Sounding rockets help advance our understanding of the Earth and its atmosphere, but they are sizeable vehicles and need a purpose-built gantry from which to launch. The new facility makes it possible to launch ASRI’s smaller Phoenix hybrid rockets that reach around 18 km and are used for training young engineers, but it can also accommodate much larger commercial sounding rockets that can achieve altitudes above 200 km, which is well into space.

– Prof. Mike Brooks, Director, ASRI

ASRI envisions the facility as a cornerstone for advancing South Africa’s national priorities, including economic growth, job creation and skills development. By fostering innovation in aerospace technology, the facility will attract investment, stimulate local industries and open new markets. It is designed to create highly skilled jobs while offering training opportunities that equip the next generation of engineers and scientists. Through these efforts, the facility will contribute significantly to positioning South Africa as a global leader in space exploration and technological innovation.

Having a local facility from which to launch such rockets will act as a catalyst to bring rockets to South Africa for scientific missions. Importantly, it will also catalyse the local aerospace industry to develop a South African sounding rocket, as well as the payloads, onboard sensors and subsystems that go into these advanced machines. These activities will stimulate the South Africa’s aerospace industry, creating new economic opportunities for the local advanced manufacturing industry.

– Prof. Mike Brooks, Director, ASRI

The newly launched facility was put through its paces, successfully launching the sounding rockets the Phoenix-1D on the 2 December, 2 and Phoenix-1E on 4 December 2024.

The gantry performed flawlessly, and the rockets also performed well during testing, reaching altitudes of 16,6 km and 11,9 km, respectively. One of the vehicles transmitted magnetometer data sampled during the flight back to the ground via a telemetry link, giving South African National Space Agency scientists an additional method of sampling the Earth’s magnetic field. UKZN is among the top universities globally in terms of its ability to engineer high-performance hybrid rockets.

Ms Xolile Malembe, a master’s student in mechanical engineering at ASRI, is proud to be one of two women currently conducting research in rocket engine technology at the institute.

I am incredibly proud to be one of two women involved in ASRI’s space propulsion programme, showcasing the vital role women can play in shaping the future of aerospace technology and innovation.

– Ms Xolile Malembe, Master’s Student in Mechanical Engineering, ASRI

The unveiling of the national sounding rocket facility is a significant step forward in realising South Africa’s vision of a vibrant and sustainable space ecosystem. As the facility begins operations, it will not only elevate South Africa’s position in global space research, but also inspire the next generation of space scientists, engineers, and innovators.