The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) invites the media to have a rare behind-the-scenes look at how SANSA supports a moon landing. SANSA is providing tracking support to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre’s mission to land their Rashid Rover on the moon’s surface on 25 April 2023.
The Rashid Rover is the first Lunar mission by the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). As a payload on iSpace’s Hakuto-R M1 mission, the Rashid Rover lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, on 11 December 2022 and is expected to land on the surface of the moon from the 25th of April 2023.
SANSA’s Hartebeesthoek Ground Station will establish direct communication between the Rashid Rover and the ELM Control Centre, located at MBRSC facilities in Dubai, as the rover lands on the moon’s surface. To track and communicate with the spacecraft, SANSA will commission two antennas – a 12-meter S-band antenna for uplink transmissions and a 26-meter parabolic antenna for downlink transmissions.
Important Information
- Date: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
- Time: 10:00 AM
- Venue: SANSA Hartebeesthoek (Farm 502JQ)
Click here to confirm your attendance.
Contact Information
For additional inquiries, please contact
Daleen Fouche, Communications Practitioner
Email:dfouche@sansa.org.za
Contact number: +27824634073
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