In a significant step towards bolstering global space monitoring efforts, Russia and South Africa officially inaugurated the Russian Optical and Electronic Complex for Detection and Measurement of the Movement Parameters of Space Debris (OEC DSD). According to a statement issued by the Russian Embassy in South Africa, the event saw the presence of distinguished personalities, including Yury Borisov, the Director General of Russia’s State Space Corporation, Roscosmos, and Humbulani Mudau, the CEO of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), along with other important dignitaries from both nations.

Establishing this cutting-edge debris monitoring station marks the culmination of a contract signed in July 2021 between the Russian Scientific and Production Corporation Systems of Precision Instrumentation (JSC NPK SPP) and SANSA for strategic infrastructure placement. This project was initiated in response to the rising concerns about the growing congestion of space with satellites and debris, which has heightened the risk of potential collisions in near-Earth space.

As early as 2019, ROSCOSMOS unveiled its ambitious plans to deploy optical-electronic monitoring stations in South Africa, Mexico, and Chile. The primary objective was to enhance the capabilities of Russia’s Automated Warning System on Hazardous Situations in Outer Space (ASPOS OKP), which continuously monitors and tracks dangerous approaches of space objects to mitigate the risks posed by orbital debris and falling satellites.

During the opening ceremony, Yury Borisov underscored the urgency of the situation, emphasising that the growing number of participants in space exploration and the increasing deployment of satellites in orbit have amplified the threats of potential collisions. He stressed the necessity of developing advanced space monitoring stations and striving for global coverage to safeguard space assets and activities.

Furthermore, Yury Borisov expressed his optimism about the future cooperation between Russia and South Africa, expressing hopes that this joint initiative would be the first of many collaborative projects in space exploration.

Humbulani Mudau echoed the sentiments regarding the significance of the complex. He highlighted the station’s crucial role in autonomously detecting and tracking space debris in near-Earth orbits, providing valuable early warning capabilities to the international space community. Additionally, Mudau shared an ambitious vision for South Africa’s space programme, revealing plans to train and send astronauts to space, demonstrating the country’s commitment to fostering advancements in space exploration.