The future is 'technologically' bright for 150 South African schoolgirls who have been drafted in a project to design and build Africa’s first private satellite.
Yes you got that right - Africa's first private satellite.
The satellite is expected to be launched into space towards the end of 2016 as part of a program that's sponsored by The Meta Economic Development Organization (MEDO). This program is aimed at motivating more teenage girls in African countries to study and work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics field, widely known by the acronym STEM.
Now isn't that what we all need in order to further empower the girl child?
Anyway, the lucky girls kicked off the project last Thursday and they have been tasked with designing the payload for the satellite. This of course after being trained by satellite engineers on building rovers or mini-robots.
MEDO's space program manager, Carla De Klerk, had this to say:
"MEDO has procured the first private satellite in Africa and we have decided to effectively give this to young women to design it and put it together. . . The satellite is going to have a polar orbit, meaning it is going to go over Africa and they want to focus particularly on Africa and the problems they will be facing in a ten-year time."
In the long run, the 'healthy' project will also involve girls from Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana.
A satellite has generally two major sections: the spacecraft bus and the system that provides its core functionality, known simply as the payload.
Research shows that the number of women working in STEM fields is low, more so in Africa where girls are more likely to be kept out of school than boys, because of poverty and early marriage.
About 80 percent of jobs will need STEM skills by the year 2020, but less than 10 percent of girls are currently interested or are pursuing university studies in STEM field.
Let the work commence young ladies! The thought of Africa's first private satellite is so WOOOOOOW!!
Yes you got that right - Africa's first private satellite.
The satellite is expected to be launched into space towards the end of 2016 as part of a program that's sponsored by The Meta Economic Development Organization (MEDO). This program is aimed at motivating more teenage girls in African countries to study and work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics field, widely known by the acronym STEM.
Now isn't that what we all need in order to further empower the girl child?
Anyway, the lucky girls kicked off the project last Thursday and they have been tasked with designing the payload for the satellite. This of course after being trained by satellite engineers on building rovers or mini-robots.
MEDO's space program manager, Carla De Klerk, had this to say:
"MEDO has procured the first private satellite in Africa and we have decided to effectively give this to young women to design it and put it together. . . The satellite is going to have a polar orbit, meaning it is going to go over Africa and they want to focus particularly on Africa and the problems they will be facing in a ten-year time."
In the long run, the 'healthy' project will also involve girls from Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana.
A satellite has generally two major sections: the spacecraft bus and the system that provides its core functionality, known simply as the payload.
Research shows that the number of women working in STEM fields is low, more so in Africa where girls are more likely to be kept out of school than boys, because of poverty and early marriage.
About 80 percent of jobs will need STEM skills by the year 2020, but less than 10 percent of girls are currently interested or are pursuing university studies in STEM field.
Let the work commence young ladies! The thought of Africa's first private satellite is so WOOOOOOW!!
