This means that every aircraft flying in the continent’s airspace will rely on SANSA for the space weather information it needs to submit as part of its flight plan.
Space weather, which can influence the performance and reliability of aviation and other technological systems, is caused by the Sun, the nature of the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, and the Earth’s location in the solar system.
SANSA is one of two ICAO-designated regional space weather centers – the other being a joint Russia-China center.
SANSA will partner with one of the ICAO’s three global space weather centers, PECASUS, the Pan-European Consortium for Aviation Space Weather User Services, to provide ICAO with space weather information for the African region.
PECASUS is a consortium of nine European countries.
South Africa launched Africa’s most advanced nanosatellite so far, the ZACube-2, in December 2018.