TFDesign has proudly manufactured and assisted in the commissioning of a groundbreaking suborbital sounding rocket launch facility in the Western Cape!
This project, in collaboration with the Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, marks a milestone as the first major space launch infrastructure built in South Africa since the dawn of democracy. This facility brings advanced capabilities to our country!
The state-of-the-art gantry system can rotate a full 360 degrees horizontally and tilt up to 90 degrees vertically, ensuring pinpoint accuracy for launch trajectories and mission requirements. During commissioning, ASRI/UKZN engineers and our TFDesign team tested the gantry’s limits, successfully running a cold-flow propellant test with ASRI’s Phoenix hybrid rocket.
Why Suborbital Rockets? They’re essential for testing aerospace technologies, conducting scientific research in the high atmosphere, and even venturing hundreds of kilometers into space to gather critical data. With this facility, UKZN becomes the only university in South Africa to operate a permanent suborbital rocket launch site, enhancing ASRI’s cutting-edge research and providing an exceptional training environment for our future engineers.
We’re thrilled to be part of this project, driving innovation and launching South Africa into a new era of aerospace technology!
