SUNSAT explained

The Stellenbosch UNiversity SATellite or SUNSAT (COSPAR 1999-008C) was the first miniaturized satellite designed and manufactured in South Africa.^[1] It was launched aboard a Delta II rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on 23 February 1999 to become the first launched South African satellite. Sunsat was built by post-graduate engineering students at the University of Stellenbosch. Its AMSAT designation was SO-35 (Sunsat Oscar 35).^[2]

Last contact by ground control with SUNSAT was on 19 January 2001 and on 1 February 2001 the end of SUNSAT's functional life in orbit was announced. The satellite operated in orbit for nearly 2 years.^[3]

It is predicted to reenter the atmosphere after about 30 years from launch.^[4]

Specifications

SUNSAT satellite specifications:^[5]

• Size: 45 x 45 x 60 cm
• Mass: 64 kg
• Launcher: Delta II rocket, Mission P-91^[6]
• Program cost: US $5M (Approximate); the launch was free of charge as SUNSAT was orbited as a secondary payload. The primary payload of the launch was ARGOS, and the Danish Orsted satellite was another secondary payload.
• Planned lifetime: 4–5 years (NiCad Battery pack life)
• Main payloads:
  • Amateur radio communications
  • Data interchange
  • Stereo multispectral imager
• Attitude control: Gravity gradient and magnetorquers, reaction wheels when imaging
• Accuracy: 3 mrad pitch/roll, 6 mrad yaw
• 2 Micro Particle Impact Detectors were included as part of experiments conducted in orbit
  • A team (Zaahied Cassim and Rashid Mohamed) from Peninsula Technikon designed and built circuits for both their own piezo film technology and NASA supplied capacitive sensors.
• SSC 25636^[7]

Pushboom imager

• Ground pixel size: 15 m x 15 m
• Image width: 51.8 km

Notes and References

1. Web site: South African Satellites. South African National Space Agency. March 18, 2023.
2. Web site: SUNSAT-OSCAR 35. https://web.archive.org/web/20051224163310/http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/so35.html. December 24, 2005. amsat.org.
3. Web site: The End of SUNSAT's Functional Life in Orbit. 1 February 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20050414090039/http://esl.ee.sun.ac.za/projects/sunsat/news/20010201.html. 14 April 2005.
4. https://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/so35-faq.htm#life 19. How long will SUNSAT stay operational?
5. Web site: SUNSAT (Stellenbosch University Satellite). Jun 14, 2012. eoportal.org. March 18, 2023.
6. Web site: Delta II 7920-10 (P91-1ARGOS), Ørsted and SUNSAT. nextspaceflight.com. March 18, 2023.
7. Web site: SUNSAT - Orbit. Chris. Peat. Heavens Above. 5 December 2013. 6 December 2013.