Africa’s first Moon mission is South African-led, and local expertise slashed the cost

For more than 13 years, Dr Carla Mitchell has chased a dream she once believed belonged to Americans and NASA. Now she is leading Africa’s first space exploration mission to the moon in 2029. Africa2Moon will ride on China’s Chang’e 8 lander and deploy three 30 centimetre antennas, fondly known as BALLS, to pick up low frequency radio waves that our atmosphere blocks from Earth. A mission that should have cost more than $100 million is now expected to cost less than half a million dollars, because South African companies and universities took on the production at no cost and more than 30 scientists and engineers volunteered their time over a decade. Dr Mitchell, the mission director and Africa programme manager at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, told BizNews how it came together, and why she believes Africa is ready to lead in space exploration.

Listen here

Edited transcript of the interview

Linda van Tilburg (00:00) Africa is sending its first space exploration mission to the Moon in 2029, riding on China's Chang'e 8 lander. South African doctor Carla Mitchell has been chosen as the director of the Africa2Moon Space Exploration Mission, which will deploy low frequency radio astronomy antennas on the Moon. Dr Mitchell has joined us in the studio today. Hi, nice to see you.

Linda van Tilburg (00:30) Well, thank you so much for joining us. This is big for Africa, and amazing that a South African is heading it. So, tell us about this mission.

Carla Mitchell (00:40) So this mission has actually been a passion project of mine for over 13 years, from initially designing the instruments and then begging and pleading, and over 30 scientists and engineers have volunteered their time over a decade to help bring the project forward. We got to the point that there was an open call from China to apply to be a payload on their Chang'e 8 mission.

Last year it was announced that we were selected as one of the payloads. At that point we were able to get on board significant institutions like the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, the South African National Space Agency, and others across Africa. And we've got to the point now where we are working on our qualification phase.

All of the production has been taken on by South African industry at no cost, and by South African universities. So, a mission that should have cost over a hundred million dollars will in the end cost, in actual currency, less than half a million dollars. I think this is a great achievement for Africa, not only scientifically and engineering-wise, but to show a new form of doing projects like this, by collaborating.

Linda van Tilburg (02:08) Well, the antennas are called the Bounced African Low Lunar Spheres, or BALLS, which makes really good headlines. So, what do they actually do?

Carla Mitchell (02:18) So each ball is an autonomous antenna. It detects low frequency radio waves. In radio astronomy we detect radio waves, but on Earth, low frequency radio waves under 20 megahertz are obscured by our atmosphere. So, this kind of science can only be done in space, and ideally on the lunar surface.

Linda van Tilburg (02:47) Okay, so what do they look like? I'm going to add some photographs to this, but how big are they?

Carla Mitchell (02:52) They literally look like balls. They are 30 centimetres in diameter. We obviously have space constraints on the lander, and that was as big as we could go. It's also as small as we can go to do the science we need to do, because the diameter of the ball does matter to the science. We have three antennas going. This is a technology demonstrator, and hopefully it will be the first radio astronomy array on the lunar surface by any country. So, we do hope that we'll do first-time science, and possibly other firsts for Africa in this mission.

Linda van Tilburg (03:35) So what does it take to bring all this together? You mentioned industry and universities working with you.

Carla Mitchell (03:43) Tenacity, definitely. I think this has been a great example of a new way of doing things. I am the Africa programme manager for the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, and we implement programmes across eight countries in Africa. In our lessons learnt, we've seen that the most successful technology projects make sure that we incorporate government, academia and industry. When all three work together, you are able to have sustainability in your projects.

Linda van Tilburg (04:20) Can you name some of the organisations that are involved?

Carla Mitchell (04:25) Yes. As I mentioned, the space agency and the observatory, and then in industry we have a company called ESL. ASRI is based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and they are developing rockets for our own launch capability in South Africa and Petrowell, they've completed all our composite materials.

The University of Stellenbosch has contributed all our electronics, and they've got a great programme going with Africa2Moon where they are including postgraduate students, who are now doing papers and projects around Africa2Moon. And we've had students from other countries, like Ghana, who have contributed significantly to the project.

Linda van Tilburg (05:15) So what still needs to happen before the 2029 launch?

Carla Mitchell (05:21) We have to complete the qualification phase. This is difficult because we have to test the balls at the temperatures they'll be exposed to in space, which is as cold as minus 200 degrees centigrade. We have to test them in a vacuum simulation. We have to test how our solar panels and electronics manage with lunar dust. Lunar dust is very abrasive and it sticks to electronics, so it can be very damaging. We have to test against radiation. And of course, vibration testing, to make sure we can survive the launch and the landing. Each time we go through one of these tests, we hold our breath and hope we make it. This will take us through to the middle of next year, and hopefully we pass everything and are then able to build the final flight models, which will go to China.

Linda van Tilburg (06:14) Well, there is this ambition of one antenna on the Moon for every African nation. How can that be achieved?

Carla Mitchell (06:20) Absolutely. As I mentioned, this is a technology demonstrator, so it will be deployed on the near side of the Moon. If all goes well, we will then move forward to the far side mission, which will be 55 instruments on the far side of the Moon. We will have much better sensitivity then, with more instruments, and be able to do better science. The far side of the Moon is very challenging, but it's the holy grail for all radio astronomers, as we would be protected on the far side from emissions from Earth. In lunar night on the far side, it is the most radio quiet zone in our solar system.

Linda van Tilburg (07:01) So is this Africa's moment to contribute to space exploration rather than watching from the sidelines?

Carla Mitchell (07:07) Absolutely. As my colleague Dr Adriana Marais, our head of science, says, this project gives Africa a seat at the table. I often speak about this, as an economist, that Africa has this opportunity and this window to shape our future, versus being part of a future shaped by others. So, I hope this project is an inspiration to show that you can overcome the challenges and the barriers if you collaborate, and hopefully it inspires more African projects that really do secure our future and our seats at the table.

Linda van Tilburg (07:47) Carla, this is not the only project on your plate. You work for SARAO, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, and when I asked you for this interview, you said, well, which part of my life do you want me to share? So how do you juggle this workload?

Carla Mitchell (08:01) Yeah, it's very challenging. I'm constantly prioritising and reprioritising, but I have great teams, both at SARAO and on Africa2Moon, that make this easy. I think really your team and the people under you help with achievement. None of us get there on our own, and I'm really blessed with a great set of people, which makes it easier.

Everything I do, whether it's through the programmes at SARAO or my passion projects, is directed at the same goal, which is utilising space science and technology to improve lives in Africa. So, there's a common thread through everything I'm doing.

Linda van Tilburg (08:50) Well, we talked about Africa now contributing to space exploration, but SARAO, as you pronounce it, have actually, with the latest mission to the Moon, played a little bit of a part.

Carla Mitchell (09:04) So the South African National Space Agency plays a part in the deep space network. We help monitor these missions, receiving signals and helping with telemetry. So, we do engage and support these big space programmes. And South Africa has a very robust, growing space industry where we provide components to hundreds of missions around the world. So, we do play a part in the global space industry, but we haven't led. I hope there will be a renewed vigour in Africa to show that we can actually lead, and we don't need to only play a small part.

Linda van Tilburg (09:54) So Carla, how did you get here? I looked at some of the maps on your walls, and there seem to be ancient stars that have been tracked there. Well, all stars are ancient, but...

Carla Mitchell (10:05) Some more than others.

Linda van Tilburg (10:07) Yeah. So how did you get here? You studied finance and economics, and now you're leading a mission to the Moon.

Carla Mitchell (10:16) Yeah, so as a little girl I was always obsessed with space. You mentioned the map behind me. It's a celestial star chart, a few hundred years old. That's my dad's area of business, and he gathered some of these for me. I never believed that I could work in space. When I was young, I thought space was for Americans and for NASA and wouldn't be an opportunity for me, and I think many young people still believe that across Africa. A few months ago, I actually attended a conference at NASA Ames, and forty years later I got to present my own space mission. So that closed a loop for me.

I think I can make an impact through economics, and I found my way into the space industry through studying at the International Space University in France. I think there's space for all kinds of education in space, whether it be marketing, economics, engineering or science. There's a place for everyone in this industry, and space is a part of our daily lives. As you mentioned, looking up at the stars, using ATM machines, using Google Navigator, whatever it may be, we have to accept that we use space every day. As more and more people understand that there is a place for them in this industry, we can all contribute and it can grow.

My life has been complicated, and I've spent a lot of time on my knees. When people say, how did you get here, but for the grace of God, I don't know how I got here. It's been a long road, but it's all dovetailed to this point, this mission. And now hopefully I have the opportunity to really make an impact in a meaningful way across Africa.

Linda van Tilburg (12:14) We were talking before we started, when I was just testing things, about watching the skies and how amazing South Africa is for us, and how people from overseas come and look at the Karoo and say, wow, there are so many stars. But Africa has been watching the skies as well for forever.

Carla Mitchell (12:32) Yeah, absolutely. The earliest people living in Africa thousands of years ago were using the stars for navigation, and for farming and so on. It's always been a part of us. You mentioned the Karoo. SARAO has built the MeerKAT telescope in the Northern Cape, which is the most powerful telescope of its kind, and they're now building the Square Kilometre Array telescope on the same site. These are major achievements for South Africa and Africa. The hope is that these will be the largest telescopes of their kind, hosted here in Africa. We're doing incredible science through these instruments, and it's because of our geographic advantage. We have these beautiful clear skies and these beautiful radio quiet zones.

It's good for the soul to go there and enjoy the quiet and the magnificent stars. You can literally see the Milky Way there. But it's also providing long-term projects that are really showing that science projects can generate significant benefit within the economy.

Linda van Tilburg (13:49) And the Khoisan, they've also watched the skies.

Carla Mitchell (13:52) Absolutely. We have a long history of space science in various forms within our ancestry in Africa.

Linda van Tilburg (14:03) Is there an exact date for the launch?

Carla Mitchell (14:07) We haven't been given the exact date yet, but I think the launch windows are normally May and August, so I would assume we would probably launch in August 2029. It's then a 20 to 30 day trip to the Moon, and then they do the landing procedure, and we start science on the lunar surface. So those 20 to 30 days are going to be a very stressful time for me.

Linda van Tilburg (14:35) Yeah, I'm sure you'll be watching that. Was there anything else you wanted to add?

Carla Mitchell (14:40) Well, we were talking about a seat at the table in the space industry, but equally I think Africa needs a seat at the table in terms of compute and this new drive towards AI. There is incredible innovative capability across Africa, and a lot of our big data programmes are harnessing that capability. One of the messages I'd like to get across is that Africa's future will be defined by collaboration, I believe, and by developing African value chains. My hope is that we start sharing knowledge and expertise within Africa and building significant value chains that can make us competitive as a continent. My hope as well is that people get excited about this project and think we've done great things. And I just hope the youth of tomorrow in Africa will look at this project and go, that was great, but I'm going to do so much more.

Linda van Tilburg (15:48) Well, Dr Carla Mitchell, thanks so much for speaking to us.

Carla Mitchell (15:52) Thank you for having me.

Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.

Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.

If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.