Main points of the story
Africa will launch its first satellite into space
The satellite is built by a group of school girls
CNN
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They may be young, but Brittany Bull, 17, and Sesam Mngqengkiswa, 16, have a big ambition – to launch Africa’s first private satellite in 2019.
Both girls are part of a group of high school girls from Cape Town, South Africa, who have collectively designed and built the satellite in order to observe Africa from space.
The satellite’s main mission will be to collect information related to agriculture and food security in Africa.
By analyzing existing data, the girls hope to identify and predict future problems that Africa may face, according to Bull, a student at Pelican Park High School.
Mngqengkiswa explains that the satellite will help gather information about agriculture, tree planting, and remote areas that are difficult to access, such as areas affected by forest fires and floods.
The information collected by the satellite, which will be transmitted twice a day, will help in preventing accidents and improving food security in Africa.
The project is a collaboration between the Meta Economic Development Organization (MEDO) of South Africa and Morehead State University in the US.
Africa’s journey to space
The girls, comprising a total of 14 students, are receiving training from satellite engineers at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The goal is to encourage more African women to venture into STEM fields, including aerospace.
If the satellite launch is successful, MEDO will become the first private company in Africa to have built and sent a satellite into orbit.
Mngqengkiswa expresses the importance of receiving a good signal, as it will enable the girls to collect reliable data. She mentions the impact that floods and droughts have had on farmers in South Africa and how the satellite can help address these challenges.
Drought and environmental degradation caused by climate change have had negative impacts on the economy of South Africa. The satellite is expected to provide insights to improve the country’s economy, says Mngqengkiswa.
Mngqengkiswa, who comes from a single-parent household, hopes that by becoming an aeronautical or aerospace engineer, she can make her mother proud and inspire others in her situation.
Mngqengkiswa adds that exploring space and witnessing the world’s atmosphere is a rare opportunity for many black Africans. She wants to experience it personally.
It is worth noting that in the history of space travel, no black African has gone into space. According to Mngqengkiswa, she wants to see these things firsthand and have the chance to be a part of it.
Bull shares the same sentiment and wants to break stereotypes by showing girls that they are not limited in their career choices, even in fields like aviation.
