WATCH: SA rocket’s epic failure to launch

Attempts by University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) students to launch a proudly South African rocket failed spectacularly on Monday after it managed only a 20 meter ascent before falling to the ground and exploding.

The rocket’s creators were hoping the Phoenix 1B Mark 2 would double the speed of sound and rise to an altitude of 15km.

Its success would have made the Phoenix 1B Mark 2 the highest hybrid rocket the country has ever launched, according to Business Insider.

Those behind UKZN’s Phoenix Hybrid Sounding Rocket Programme will have to cut their losses and embark on a journey back to the drawing board.

It’s not all bad news, though, with the department of science and technology (DST)’s Taslima Viljoen managing to see the positive side of the launch.

While UKZN wasn’t exactly attempting to send their rocket into outer space, South Africans are bigger players when it comes to global space exploration than some might think.

In a milestone for South African science and technology, The Citizen reported that the country’s most advanced nanosatellite was launched into space from Russia in December last year.

It was reported that the satellite would provide Russia with cutting-edge remote sensing and communication services.

The ZACube-2 took off from Russian Vostochny spaceport, along with the Russian Soyuz Kanopus mission and small satellites from the US, Japan, Spain and Germany just after 4am on December 28.

Weighing just 4kg, the satellite was designed for real-time monitoring of natural and man-made emergencies.

Science and Technology Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said: “This satellite will help us monitor our ocean traffic as part of our oceans economy and also monitor veld fires and provide near real-time fire information ensuring a quick response time by disaster management teams.

“Science is, indeed, helping us resolve the challenges of our society. I want to congratulate our space team for great work and this achievement.”

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Additional reporting by Rorisang Kgosana)

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