South Africa is sending its B.A.L.L.S. to the Moon…

Updated July 15, 2026, 2:07 p.m. | By Skyye Ndlovu

Before you panic, it’s not what you think…

BALLS SA Space — Stellenbosch University

Yes, you read that headline correctly.

South Africa is preparing to send its B.A.L.L.S. to the Moon.

However, before your imagination runs wild, we’re talking about a groundbreaking space project that could change how we study the universe.

ALSO READ: Science just revealed the truth about your farts

The project, called Africa2Moon, aims to place the world’s first low-frequency radio telescope array on the Moon, marking a major milestone for both South Africa and the African continent.

The unusual name stands for Bounced African Low Lunar Spheres (B.A.L.L.S.).

These specially designed metal spheres each contain a low-frequency radio antenna that will help scientists detect radio signals from deep space that can’t be observed from Earth because of interference from our atmosphere.

The first set of South African-designed B.A.L.L.S. is expected to head to the Moon aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission in 2029, which will land near the Moon's south pole as part of an international scientific mission.

The long-term vision is even bigger.

Researchers hope to eventually deploy 55 antennas on the lunar surface (one representing each African nation), creating a unique radio telescope capable of unlocking some of the universe’s oldest mysteries.

The Africa2Moon project brings together some of South Africa’s brightest scientific minds.

It’s led by the Foundation for Space Development Africa, with support from SARAO, SANSA, and researchers from Stellenbosch University, Rhodes University, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

SARAO engineers are building the metal spheres, while UKZN researchers are developing the antenna systems.

Stellenbosch University’s Electronic Systems Laboratory is helping design the electronics that will allow the antennas to communicate once they’re on the Moon.

Before launch, a demonstration model will undergo extensive testing in China to ensure it can survive the harsh journey through space and operate on the lunar surface.

ALSO READ: Prof Tulio de Oliveira to be honoured with National Order for groundbreaking virus discovery

If everything goes according to plan, a fully space-qualified version will be built for the historic mission.

The project also highlights how far South Africa’s space programme has come.

From launching its first satellite, SUNSAT, in 1999 to now developing technology destined for the Moon, the country continues to prove it’s a serious player in global space exploration.

So yes, South Africa really is sending its B.A.L.L.S. to the Moon.