South Africa’s growing space sector took another significant leap forward during the recent SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission, with five local companies collectively supplying 116 products to the global launch.
Simera Sense, Dragonfly Aerospace, CubeSpace, CubeCom, and NewSpace Systems collectively delivered a diverse range of imaging payloads, satellite subsystems, and high-reliability components, further cementing South Africa’s reputation as a competitive player in the global newspace economy.
This collective success is made possible not only by the engineering expertise of these companies, but also by the strength of South Africa’s advanced local manufacturing sector. Precision components, electronics, and subsystems, produced domestically, form the backbone of the technologies launched, showcasing a national capability that’s both world-class and space proven.
Among the highlights was Simera Sense, which supplied 12 imaging products, including a hyperspectral and multispectral imagers, as well electronics for additional multispectral
systems. “It’s a proud moment to see so many Simera Sense payloads designed and built right here in South Africa delivered to orbit on a launch of this scale,” said Thys Cronje, Chief Commercial Officer at Simera Sense. “This reflects both the quality of local engineering and the global confidence we’ve earned.”
Dragonfly Aerospace added a high-performance multispectral payload to the mission, extending its track record of enabling critical Earth observation capabilities worldwide. According to Francois Mostert, CEO of Cameras, “South Africa’s growing presence in the space ecosystem and the strength of its innovation in orbit were once again demonstrated on this launch.”
Also onboard were components from CubeSpace, which supported six customer satellites with 64 attitude control products, including reaction wheels, magnetorquers, sun sensors, and fully integrated ADCS systems. “Transporter-14 was deeply personal for our team,” said CEO Mike- Alec Kearney, “because we were involved with several customers from mission design all the way through to launch and commissioning.”
NewSpace Systems supplied over 27 components to seven clients, including their 6Nms Reaction Wheels, 0.65Nms Reaction Wheels, Magnetometers, Sun Sensors and a range of Magnetorquer Rods, supporting a variety of Small Satellite missions with their precision navigation and control systems. “Our involvement in this launch underscores NewSpace’s commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable solutions,” said CEO Tanya Lerm, adding that NewSpace Systems is anchored in their customer’s mission success.
Adding to the momentum, CUBECOM delivered 12 communication subsystems, enabling key CubeSat communication capabilities. “It’s an exciting time for the space industry, both here at home and around the world,” said Johann de Swardt, CEO at CUBECOM. “Things are moving fast, and we’re proud to be part of that growth and energy.”
With this milestone, South Africa’s space industry continues to position itself as a trusted supplier of cutting-edge technologies for commercial, scientific, and governmental missions around the globe.
