HBK CHAT VOL 22 ISS 2 NEWSLETTER

Foreword SHERQ Space

Antenna Farm

International Space News (ISN)

HR Space

HBK People

Missions and Launches

HBK Guests

ONE THING THAT IS INFINITE – THE SPACE

HBK CHAT VOL 22: ISS 2

Raoul Hodges: Celebrating three

decades-plus of passion for industry

Who moved my cheese?

Chill Session with Betty Nthle

SPOILER ALERT: new logo to the right.

An entity of the Department of Science and Innovation.

Foreword CONTENTS & CREDITS

P.1 Foreword Cheers to growth

P.2 Missions and Launches The first Goes-T imagery Missions Supported

P.4 International Space News (ISN) Landsat 50th Anniversary at HBK P.3 International Space News (ISN) Is low Earth orbiting (LEO) mega broadband constellations a game changer in modern day warfare?

HBK People Raoul Hodges: Celebrating three decades-plus of passion for industry P.6

P.5 Tech Space HBK ICT: A year in review P.8 HBK People Chill Session with Betty Nthle

P.9

Antenna Farm

Down the Memory Lane: 2012 Inaugural KSAT Antenna

P.10 SHERQ Space 4 SANSA environmental impacts and solutions

Credits Design and Layout:

Shereno Printers

Publisher:

SANSA (HBK)/Raoul Hodges

Contributors:

Nteboheng Molefe Yunus Bhayat Nontobeko Gumede Emelia Mosima Arulan Pillay

P.11 HR Space Who moved my cheese?

P.13 HBK Guests

Managing Editor:

Emelia Mosima

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VOL 22: ISS 2

Foreword

CHEERS TO GROWTH!

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What I love about life is that it is not constant. Whether or not we are aware of it, change is happening, every day, in us, through us and around us. My recent marker of change was on the 8th of June this year as I turned 60. This personal milestone reminded me that we don’t always have much to say about how or which change comes into our lives, but we have much to decide about how we respond to that change. We don’t have control over the pace at whichminutes turn to hours, hours to days, days toweeks, weeks tomonths, and months to years. But we can control what we do with whatever number of minutes are gracefully rendered to us. The year 2022 not only marks my sixth decade of life, but also my three and half decades in SANSA. I share more details

about this on P.6 and P.7 This year also ushered in two markers of success, the 12th year anniversary of hosting Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) and Landsat’s 50 years anniversary at HBK ground station. KSAT has been a valuable client and remarkable partner throughout these years. These celebratory events are briefly captured on P.4 and P.9 With humility, I recognise that I have enjoyed an upward growth trajectory since joining SANSA through CSIR, moving from Technician to Technical Manager, Operations Manager and Managing Director. For this reason, I take delight in the growth of my team members. The recent one to highlight is the appointment of Betty Ntlhe as Shift Lead Technician. Betty joined SANSA in 2013 as

an Electronics Engineering In-Service Trainee and was appointed to a permanent role as Satellite Operations Technician in 2014. Her new leadership role is evidence that growth opportunities are everywhere. You just need to stay prepared for them. More on this on P.8. As you all know by now SANSA is changing, even our brand identity has just undergone a makeover. Familiarise yourself with our new logo on the back and front cover of this instalment. Brand manual will be shared once available. I hope you find inspiration to grow in each piece herein. Read on and cheers to growth! Raoul Hodges Space Operations MD

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HBK CHAT

Missions and Launches

The first Goes-T imagery

According to NOAA, “this GOES-18 image shows the contiguous United States observed by each of the ABI’s 16 channels on May 5, 2022. This 16-panel image shows the ABI’s two visible, four near-infrared and 10 infrared channels. The visible and near-IR bands are gray-colored, while the infrared bands have the warmer brightness temperatures mapped to warmer colors. The different appearance of each band is due to how each band reflects or absorbs radiation. Each spectral band was scanned at approximately the same time, starting at 18 UTC.” Missions Supported

Frequency band

Date

Type

Client

Satellite Duration

17 March - 15 May 2022

EOR

Intelsat

Turksat-5B 10 days

Ku

Falcon-9 NROL-85 Falcon 9 Nilesat 301

17 March 2022

Launch

KSAT

1 day

S

8 June 2022

Launch

KSAT

1 day

S

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VOL 22: ISS 2

International Space News (ISN)

Is low Earth orbiting (LEO) mega broadband constellations a game changer in modern day warfare? - Yunus Bhayat

Starlink’s network of about 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit is designed to deliver high-speedinternetanywhere. SpaceX said in March this year that there are about 250,000 Starlink subscribers, which includes both consumers and enterprise customers. There are more than 10,000 Starlink terminals — aka dishes or antenna — providing service toUkraine according to a recent NBC news report. In April, theUnitedStates Agency for International Development told CNBC that “a range of stakeholders” contributed over $15 million worth in hardware and transportation services to deliver 5,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraine, with USAID directly procuring 1,333 terminals from SpaceX. Just after the war started in late February, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov took to Twitter to ask US billionaire, Elon Musk, to activate his Starlink satellites for use in Ukraine. This was after a suspected cyberattack disrupted previous satellite internet service while the Russian military targeted the country’s communications infrastructure. Musk swiftly tweeted his response: “Starlink service is

Image courtesy of www.starlink.com

now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.” Soon after, a number of terminals and powerful batteries arrived in Ukraine. Fedorov took to Twitter again to express his gratitude: “Starlink — here. Thanks, @elonmusk.” No secret dispatches, no long debates, no governmental or parliamentary controls or protocols: just a very public deal between a politician and an enigmatic billionaire. What at first looked like a PR coup now seemed to be playing a significant role in the Russia Ukraine conflict. According to The Telegraph, Starlink is of particular military significance in areas where the infrastructure is weak and there is no internet connection. The Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance unit is using Starlink to monitor and coordinate unmanned

aerial (UAVs), enabling soldiers to fire anti tank weapons with targeted precision. Only the system’s high data rates can provide the stable communication required. An officer with the aerial reconnaissance unit described the system as follows: “use Starlink equipment and connect the drone team with our artillery team,” he said. “If we use a drone with thermal vision at night, the drone must connect through Starlink to the artillery guy and create target acquisition.” The Times furthermore reported that the team runs about 300 information gathering missions each day with attacks carried out at night as the drones, some of which are equipped with thermal cameras, are almost impossible to see in the dark. vehicles

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HBK CHAT

Landsat 50th Anniversary at HBK International Space News (ISN)

In May this year, Landsat Ground Station Operators Working Group (LGSOWG) hosted its 50th meeting in Pretoria, South Africa. This meeting occurs annually and is open to ground stations operated by the United States and International Cooperator (IC) ground station network for the direct downlink and distribution of Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 data. The 2022 meeting included a 50th anniversary celebration hosted at HBK facilities. SANSA is a member of the International Cooperator (IC), a programme by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

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VOL 22: ISS 2

Tech Space

HBK ICT: A year in review - Nteboheng Molefe

Just thought I let you in on a couple of projects that have been keeping the ICT team at HBK facilities on its toes. Yes, this is one of the long-standing projects that everyone has been working on for years. The migration to the cloud started in end 2021, continuing to the beginning of 2022. The advantage of this long wait is that all files are now available for you anywhere, anytime – even when you are overseas. All you need is internet connection. Another huge advantage is that backups are done automatically in the cloud. The upgrade of the MPLS network between SANSA Space Operations and Teraco has been completed and is fully operational. We installed 6 additional routers to provide full redundancy and automatic link failover after link outage. The MPLS failover configuration is aligned with our objective “to improve the reliability of existing infrastructure” and achieve 99.999% availability/ uptime. Improving reliability of existing infrastructure I-drive really took time but it was worth it

ingest data and sends it to systems designed to capture that information. Initially, acquisition capturing was done manually whereby a user will physically monitor the start and end of the pass as it happens and write the information on paper, which will then have to be retyped in by the reporter. M.A.S improves efficiency by automating acquisition and loss of signal. This is an analysis tool created to allow technical support to be able to characterise antennae based on the deviation of the expected signal frequency received by the Base Band Unit. Doppler effect is used to keep track of change in frequency. Too much change in frequency (whether positive or negative) means that the antenna is not performing well. The system helps to track this information. Doppler Analysis and Recording Software

Telemetry Data Recording Software

This is a data recording tool created for logging telemetry data processed by the Base Band Unit. This data received from satellite is processed to be in a readable format.

Landsat 9 Post Past Report Software

After all, we are techies

This software creates reports on successfully tracked Landsat 9 passes. It was basically a request from a client to get summary of data received. The ICT team is proud to have successfully delivered all these projects that are being used for business efficiency.

Herearecoupleof software solutionswedeveloped,:

Mission Assistant Software (M.A.S)

This system assists the operations team in capturing the acquisition of signal (AoS) and loss of signal (LoS) between the antenna and the satellite – that is the time when a satellite passes a specific location at a specific time and the antenna is used to point into that location,

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HBK CHAT

HBK People

Celebrating three decades-plus of passion for industry - Emelia Mosima

Raoul Hodges:

On 8 June 2022, Raoul Hodges celebrated his sixtieth birthday. In addition to signifying remarkable six decades of life, this yearmarks his three and half decades in SANSA. It was only befitting to dig into what contributed to his longevity, his key moments and his dream for the organisation considering that he is five years from retirement. You joined CSIR in 1987, what do you remember about your first day? I joined CSIR as a technician responsible for civil works, maintenance training, managing installation for companies and project management. I was employed to design and build a 1000kva standby power station for the then Satellite Application Centre, a Division of the CSIR. The first day was fairly intimidating as I was thrown into the deep end. I had only three months to understand the whole site – all the electrical systems, fire systems, antennas etc., as the person I was reporting to was nearing retirement. This then included the HartRao as it is known today and SRSC as Space operations. I was also on probation for 6 month s. In those 6 months I was required to write tests on a monthly basis. Has it always been your plan to stay in the same industry for this long? I have always said that when the technology challenges my brain

created a massive team effort, and built a can-do culture that will be with HBK forever. What do you like the most about working at SANSA? The people, the daily challenges, and the constant change in the industry due to the growth in technology. But also working with people, getting the best out of them and encouraging them to develop. What is the favourite part of your job? The achievements of the team; the specialist inputs from across the organisation; bringing projects to fruition; and sending out the first invoice. What do you think are the greatest developments in the global space industry and what should local space industry be doing in the next 10 years? The local industry and government have to get at least two locally built satellites in the air and prove the concepts. This will put trust in the global industry to procure from SA and will create a satellite market which will grow due to the cost of labour and the exchange rate advantage that SA has. If there’s one thing you could improve in SANSA, what would it be? I would love to see a selling culture, a customer-centric attitude and a commercial mindset across board.

and grows exponentially, I will remain interestedandchallenged and that is what has happened in the South African space sector. Till today, it changes at a rapid rate keeping me intrigued. After being with the same company for so many years, what makes you still wakeup with passion for what you do? The people at HBK are special. The industry is challenging. I can also add that new projects

and the achievements of SANSA Space Operations keeps me interested. What are some of your favourite work projects? The biggest achievement was the building of the 13,2 m ku band antenna in 1998. This was then a massive project in CSIR and took many hours of my life. There was a race against time to get to completion; deadlines were extreme. We had to prove ourselves to the international space world that we have the skills and will to pull off such a project. It pulled staff together,

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VOL 22: ISS 2

HBK People

You took over several job roles in SANSA, what personality traits did you have to adopt or discardas youmoved through different responsibilities? A technician is a doer, a manager focuses on input, projects, uptime and quality and a leader worries about the strategy, where the money will come from, how to take the organisation to the next level and finding new opportunities. I have passed through all these stages and in each one realised i must gain knowledge, very fast. Most of your adult life happened while in “SANSA”, share those personal milestones that forms part of your “SANSA” memories. I married my wife, Rene, two years after joining SANSA, in June 1989. Together we have two children, a son born in 1991 and daughter born in 1993. They’re all grown up now. My son studied civil engineering and daughter is a paramedic and recently got married.

I’ve had to balance my career with other personal ambitions. Though I sacrificed time for my career, I also had to ensure that I am present for my kids to teach them the values of life. The reality is that your kidswill not excel if you just sit on the couch. Kids learn by example. My responsibility as a parent was to teach them a value system, and work as well as being a present parent, is part of that value system. You are left with about 5 years to retirement, what is your biggest hope for SANSA in the next five years? I would like to see SANSA achieve its goals. I would love to see Matjiesfontien and the tracking of the NASA probes to the Moon and Mars again and a South African commercial EO satellite in orbit.

Engine built between 1986 and 1987. R Hodges was part of the commissioning team.

R Hodges attending leadership training in 1997.

Visit from Boeing in 1999 represented by Norm Beard and Pierre Pichard.

Inauguration of KU Band built in 1998.

R Hodges and colleagues at the Tech of the Year Award Ceremony in 1999.

R Hodges with C Eloff in parliament in 2007.

Repair of LSX antenna in 2003.

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HBK CHAT

HBK People

Chill Session with Betty Nthle - Emelia Mosima

How did you feel when you received news about your new role as Shift Lead Operations Technician? And who did you tell first? I was excited and could not wait to share with my loved ones. I told my husband first. Were you always anticipating taking over this role and how did you prepare yourself for it? Yes, I have. I mostly volunteered for tasks outside my job duties, and I think that really built up my confidence when it comes to leadership. I also assisted my manager when creating solutions that concerned the ops team. There are procedures I had to come up with together with my manager that I believe created a better working environment for my team. How do you define leadership? The key to successful leadership is influence and not authority. Leadership is action not position. What advice would you give to new entrants, particularly those to whom SANSA is the first formal work experience? Starting a new job can be intimidating, I know because you are entering an existing workplace culture. My advice is that you network with different people which might boost a feeling of belonging and help you enjoy the work environment which can help you deliver good work results. Also ask for help when in need. Just remember that if SANSA didn’t wholeheartedly believe you were the right person, they wouldn’t have chosen you. Just stay dedicated to your job, have the confidence, be reliable and practice teamwork. What is your wishlist in this new role? To bring change in the Ops team; enthusiasm amongst my colleagues and a high morale in our department. I really hope that I can motivate and influence a positive change that can impact the growth of this organisation and mostly that of my fellow OPS team.

How many mobile apps have you downloaded and which mobile app can’t you live without? I have 41 downloaded apps and I wouldn’t survive without my banking apps. What irritates you the most in people? I really cannot stand rude and arrogant people. Let’s be kind to one another, it is the most valuable gift you will ever give someone.

If you could swap lives, with whom would you swap? No one at all. I don’t think I will be comfortable being anyone but me. I am content with my life and I don’t wish to be anyone else. The grass is always greener on the other side, other people might often seem to be in a better situation than you, but in reality, their situation might be different to what you thought. What is your motto or quote you live by? Know who you are and know that is enough. What’s your “drive me to work” song? “Siyabonga” by DJ Zinhle. It is an inspirational song that motivates me. It reminds me that no matter how challenging life may get at times, I just have to be thankful and keep going. What made you laugh hard recently? My Kids. They are just a handful and so cute, I always laugh so hard hearing their stories. My daughter is 2 and my son is 4 so you can imagine the stories and dance moves from creche – oh my word, they are just rays of sunshine in my life. What do you do when you are stressed or sad? Cleaning my house gets me through really – a fresh clean house is refreshing to my soul. Sleeping also helps me, I somehow feel much better when I wake up. What’s currently in your handbag? Cards, lipstick and notes. What is your guilty pleasure? Croissants, I am really trying to move away from them because of oil content but it’s difficult; and anything sweet

When you look at Betty in 2013 and Betty on 1 June 2022, what do you think has changed outside a job title? A lot has changed, I am now a mother and a wife. I wouldn’t have imagined that 9 years ago. I have grown much now – the very essence of growth is to move beyond what you’ve experienced before. What has been your biggest work challenge and how did you overcome it? The language barrier when communicatingwith other international clients. I had to learn with time that I should listen with patience and repeat what they say just to be sure that I understood exactly what their request is.

especially ice-cream and cookies. Name a movie you’ve watched countless times?

Titanic – though it was a long time ago, but now I just watch movies once. I really don’t see the need to watch again if I know the ending. A lot of people get surprised by this but yeah… I watch a movie once then I move no matter how intriguing it is.

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VOL 22: ISS 2

Antenna Farm Down the Memory Lane: 2012 Inaugural KSAT Antenna

This year marks the 12th anniversary of hosting KSAT. KSAT has since installed three more antennas at the HBK ground station.

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HBK CHAT

SHERQ Space

The message of World Environmental Day is that of personal responsibility towards environmental protection and it is relevant throughout the year. We all must think globally and act locally as environmental stewards of planet Earth. Running under the theme, #OnlyOneEarth, this year’s campaign aimed at restoring, protecting and living sustainably in harmony with nature. We have solutions, knowledge, and technology to limit the impacts of climate change and avoid ecological collapse, but we need to act as a collective against unsustainable consumption and production behaviours which have ripple effects on the only planet we live in. 4 SANSA environmental impacts and solutions - Nontobeko Gumede

The following are four SANSA environmental aspects and impact as well as accompanying interventions/solutions.

Quantify ambient air levels and encourage the use of bio-diesel Air pollution due to emissions from diesel engines

Over reliance on ground water may lead to depletion

Eradicate alien species and plant more indigenous trees Bio-diversity loss due to alien and invasive species

Aspect /Impact

Poor waste segregation

Promote 4 Rs of waste management

Encourage rainwater harvesting

SOLUTION

(Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Recover

Act now by always being mindful of environmental impacts as we have borrowed this land from future generations.

#OnlyOneEarth @SANSA In commemorating the World Environmental Day, SANSA collaborated withHennops River (NGO) to a river clean up. About 18 SANSA employees took part in the Hennops River clean-up in addition to 30 people from various stakeholders. As a collective’ we were able to collect 500 bags of trash, mostly plastic and polystyrene from the water source and riverbanks. Our individual and collective efforts to save planet Earth should not end on 5 June. The fight against environmental exploitation through the depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity as well as environmental pollution at large, mainly caused by human activities, must continue.

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VOL 22: ISS 2

HR Space

Who moved my cheese? - Arulan Pillay The writing is on the wall. Change is happening in SANSA. Albeit, change is something we all face in different facets of life, whether personal or professional. Your Life”, is a fictitious book on change that has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was translated into 37 languages. This book features four characters, two mice (Sniff” and “Scurry,”) and two “littlepeople” (“Hem” and “Haw”), who respond differently to the realization that they can no longer find cheese where they used to. The moral of this story, adapted from www.theartofliving.com, is provided below. I hope you reflect on this story to find inspiration to move along with change in every area of your life. “Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in

Photo by Azzedine Rouichi on Unsplash

One-Sentence Summary: Our circumstances are constantly changing, even if we don’t want them to, and the secret to long-lasting happiness is to enjoy the good, easy times when we get them while staying alert to and being ready to change with new circumstances when they come (instead of resenting and/or resisting them and being left behind). Full Summary: We all strive towards outcomes at work, at home and in our communities because we believe they will make us (or those we love) happy.

It might be a good job, a loving relationship, money, or possessions. It might be better health or spiritual peace of mind. And it can feel wonderful when we eventually get them. Those things become cornerstones in our best-laid plans for the future. Yet life is constantly changing and sometimes it blocks (or even undoes) things we expect, feel we deserve or have worked so long and so hard to accomplish. But because we fear starting again, looking foolish or that we might end up somewhere worse, we often don’t want to change when things begin changing around us.

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HBK CHAT

HR Space

We deny change has arrived or was coming. We get frustrated and start to blame others. We cling to what was , instead of what simply now is . And the more important whatever’s-at-risk feels, the more desperately we try to hold on. We seethe with impotent stress and vexation. We think more about what could go wrong than go right. We let our fears grow out of control then control us .

Then take action – make things happen rather than letting things happen to you. Take control – even if you worry you’ve waited too long. Recognise that sometimes things change, and they are never the same again. And if this is one of those times, that’s life! Life moves on and if you don’t want to risk going extinct, so must you. How to Anticipate and Adapt to Change Quickly

But the fact is, like it or not, that the world is constantly changing. And while not all change is good or necessary it always creates new opportunities, whether we recognise them immediately or not. That’s why it’s important to learn how to deal with change. That’s why it pays to learn how to adapt to new circumstances. How to Enjoy Change When change happens, the first thing to realise is that how you react is your choice. The biggest barrier to change is inside you. The second thing to realise is that the best way to deal with change is to keep things simple, be flexible and move quickly. When change comes along simply change with it. Ask yourself: 1. “Where am I likely to find the best opportunities, fighting this change or embracing it?”

And the next time that times are a-changing? Reflect on your previous mistakes and don’t let those changes surprise you! Recall that no matter how secure something feels, you should always expect change to happen. Because when you expect change (both gradual and sudden) to happen, you’ll better monitor and anticipate it early . And when you monitor and anticipate change early , you’ll find it easier to adapt to it quickly . And when you adapt to change quickly you may find you even enjoy it . Andwhen you enjoy change you’ll learn to love testing the edge of your comfort zone; you’ll be ready to embrace change again and again when it happens.

“We cling to what was,

instead of what simply now is”.

You’ll be less stressed, less unhappy, andmore adaptive than those who resist the inevitable. You’ll shift your focus from losing what once was, to gaining what might someday be. You’ll have more time, space, and energy to embrace new outcomes that may prove even better than the old ones. And you’ll enjoy a time-tested path to more success in your life and your work. Read more here: https://theartofliving.com/ who- moved-my-cheese-summary/

2. “What could my life look like if these new circumstances led to something even better than the ones that I’m leaving?” and 3. ”What would I do if I wasn’t afraid I might fail?” Really reflect on your answers. Visualise themtill the details are almost tangible in your head; until you change what you used to believe. Realise that most of your fears are irrational. Laugh at your previous folly. Let it go.

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VOL 22: ISS 2

HBK Guests

MBA students from the University of Denver in the USA visited SANSA Space Operations facilities on 2 June as part of their feasibility study about engineering design services for facilities and ground support equipment for the aerospace industry in South Africa.

Gregory Mann, of NASA’s Artemis sharing with the HBK team a presentation on “Human’s return to the moon” on 26 May 2022. Mann was accompanied by William Marinelli and Marcus Watkins.

SANSA teamwithadelegation fromtheDepartment of Science and Innovationand theDepartment of Defence during the HBK leg of their countrywide Space Facility Tour on 11 April 2022.

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HBK CHAT

2 The 8th planet from the Sun. 3 Another word for the Sun. 4 The Sun rises in the ---- 7 The planet nearest the Sun.

1 The Sun sets in the ---- 4 A blue planet that has water. 5 The path of a planet around the Sun. 6 The next planet from the Sun after Earth. 7 It takes 28 days to go round the Earth. 8 The time it takes for the Earth to go round the Sun.

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The Earth spins on its __ _ 10 The middle of the solar system.

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Space is totally silent because there is no air to carry vibrations.

Try out your space knowledge by completing this crossword.

CONTACT Get in touch with the right SANSA department SANSA Space Operations

(T) 012 334 5000 | (F) 027 12 334 5001 | (E) spaceops-info@sansa.org.za Physical Address: Farm No 502 JQ, Hartebeesthoek, District Krugersdorp Postal Address: PO Box 484, Silverton, 0127, Gauteng, South Africa Coordinates: -25.887792565694944 | 27.708516947860744

Legacy of impact.