Promising cubes in space, YouTube, TEDxTableMountain
"What does it mean to democratize space? How can Africa take part in the immense opportunities that miniature satellites (CubeSats) represent? With his characteristic dry sense of humour, Prof van Zyl tells the story of TshepisoSAT, Africa's first nanosatellite - built by his team of students and CPUT staff and launched in November 2013. Overseeing a satellite programme that truly represents Africa serves as a unique platform to further the socio-economic development of Africa. To this end, Prof van Zyl has established the international African CubeSat programme and workshop series to provide an innovation and developmental forum."
Spotlight TEDx Talk: A mission to launch African nanosatellites
"Right now, a satellite only 10 cm wide and 10 cm tall circles our planet around 15 times a day, in flight thanks to a group of students at the French South African Institute of Technology in Cape Town. The tiny satellite, named "TshepisoSat" for the seSotho word for "hope and promise," has been in orbit for over two years, taking photos of the Earth and collecting data on radio waves in the ionosphere."
