South Africa Launches Space Agency

South Africa Launches Space Agency
Funke Atohengbe, Pretoria .

South Africa has launched a space agency to coordinate all space related activities previously handled by different bodies.

The agency will also undertake skills development, for local capacity building of the citizen for space research and input production for effective operations.

The launching of the agency in Pretoria was attended by delegates from space agencies of Nigeria , Brazil and China , with whom the South African body hopes to enter into cooperation agreements.

Part of the agenda of the new space coordinating body is to assist in the creation of an African constellation of satellite monitoring organisation for the purposes of exchange of information and cooperation.

Support for Ouattara

Meanwhile, the South African government says it will join forces with ECOWAS and the African Union to recognise Alassane Ouattara as the duly elected President of Cote D'ivoire.

It equally backed the suspension of Cote D'ivoire by regional and continental bodies, advising that everything must be done to avoid violent crises.

Qasim/Yinka