MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. The Russian optical-electronic space debris monitoring system launched in South Africa in 2023 is delivering high-quality results, particularly in the low-Earth orbit, Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) Humbulani Mudau told TASS.
"We were able to get to the point where we commissioned the complex, and currently it’s fully operational and providing quality results of monitoring space debris, specifically at the low-Earth orbit. And this is so critical for the space safety as we’ll be embarking on human flights to the Moon and beyond," he said at the Russian Space Forum.
The complex was built on schedule at the SANSA flight control center, Mudau noted, adding that this was a proud moment for both South Africa and Russia. The data generated is part of the space situational awareness network and is critical for South Africa in terms of human capital development through access to this data.
The Russian Space Forum took place on April 9 in Moscow as part of Space Week, marking the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight. Delegations from 40 countries took part in the event. Roscosmos is responsible for organizing the program. TASS is the information partner of Space Week 2026. TASS is the information partner of Space Week.