CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa aims to become a regional centre for space technology, investing in satellite and telescope projects to support its ailing economy, the science and technology minister said on Thursday. "When a country engages in a programme as significant globally as space 
science there are many areas in which the economy is boosted," Minister Naledi Pandor said. "First in terms of the products, such as building satellites... (or) you may want to establish a launching pad, that in itself is a major infrastructural investment," she told Reuters in an interview. Africa's biggest economy is home to the southern hemisphere's largest telescope, SALT, and last year it adopted laws allowing for a national space agency. But it faces its first recession since 1992 and is struggling to find housing for millions of poor blacks still living in townships or squatter camps. Growing labour unrest has led to a wave of strikes. Forging ahead on the former apartheid military machine's endeavours, it intends to build its space agency by 2011 amid increasing interest from space pioneers NASA and the Russian Federation, Pandor said. Beyond a legal and infrastructure base, South Africa is also bidding against Australia to host the 1.5 billion euro Square Kilometre Array radio telescope -- an array of 4,000 antennas spread over several African states scientists hope will unlock the origins of the universe.
science there are many areas in which the economy is boosted," Minister Naledi Pandor said. "First in terms of the products, such as building satellites... (or) you may want to establish a launching pad, that in itself is a major infrastructural investment," she told Reuters in an interview. Africa's biggest economy is home to the southern hemisphere's largest telescope, SALT, and last year it adopted laws allowing for a national space agency. But it faces its first recession since 1992 and is struggling to find housing for millions of poor blacks still living in townships or squatter camps. Growing labour unrest has led to a wave of strikes. Forging ahead on the former apartheid military machine's endeavours, it intends to build its space agency by 2011 amid increasing interest from space pioneers NASA and the Russian Federation, Pandor said. Beyond a legal and infrastructure base, South Africa is also bidding against Australia to host the 1.5 billion euro Square Kilometre Array radio telescope -- an array of 4,000 antennas spread over several African states scientists hope will unlock the origins of the universe.For further details visit as : http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-41579520090806
