SUNSAT

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

References

^ "South African Satellites". South African National Space Agency. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
^ "SUNSAT-OSCAR 35". amsat.org. Archived from the original on 24 December 2005.
^ "The End of SUNSAT's Functional Life in Orbit". 1 February 2001. Archived from the original on 14 April 2005.
^ 19. How long will SUNSAT stay operational?, SUNSAT(SO-35) FAQ
^ "SUNSAT (Stellenbosch University Satellite)". eoportal.org. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
^ "Delta II 7920-10 (P91-1ARGOS), Ørsted and SUNSAT". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
^ Peat, Chris (5 December 2013). "SUNSAT - Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 6 December 2013.

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[1] "South African Satellites". South African National Space Agency. Retrieved 18 March 2023.

[2] "SUNSAT-OSCAR 35". amsat.org. Archived from the original on 24 December 2005.

[3] "The End of SUNSAT's Functional Life in Orbit". 1 February 2001. Archived from the original on 14 April 2005.

[4] 19. How long will SUNSAT stay operational?, SUNSAT(SO-35) FAQ

[5] "SUNSAT (Stellenbosch University Satellite)". eoportal.org. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2023.

[6] "Delta II 7920-10 (P91-1ARGOS), Ørsted and SUNSAT". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023.

[heavens-above-7] Peat, Chris (5 December 2013). "SUNSAT - Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 6 December 2013.

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v t e South African space program
Organizations	South African National Space Agency (SANSA)
Programs	SANSA Space Science SUNSAT SumbandilaSat SAASA

v t e Stellenbosch University
People	Chancellor: Edwin Cameron Vice-chancellor: Wim de Villiers Deputy Vice-chancellor: Deresh Ramjugernath Notable academics Notable alumni
Knowledge	South African Military Academy SUNSAT University of Stellenbosch Business School
Student Life	Canticum Novum Danie Craven Stadium Die Matie Stellenbosch University halls of residence Stellenbosch University Choir Matie FM Women's Rugby
Affiliated hospitals	Tygerberg Hospital Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital Valkenberg Hospital

v t e ← 1998 Orbital launches in 1999 2000 →
January	Mars Polar Lander ROCSAT-1
February	Stardust Globalstar 23, Globalstar 36, Globalstar 38, Globalstar 40 Telstar 6 JCSAT-6 Soyuz TM-29 ARGOS, Ørsted, SUNSAT Arabsat 3A, Skynet 4E Globus No.15
March	Wide Field Infrared Explorer Globalstar 23, Globalstar 37, Globalstar 41, Globalstar 46 AsiaSat 3S DemoSat
April	Progress M-41, Sputnik 99 INSAT-2E USA-142 Eutelsat W3 Globalstar 19, Globalstar 42, Globalstar 44, Globalstar 45 Landsat 7 UoSAT-12 Ikonos-1 ABRIXAS, Megsat-0 USA-143
May	Orion 3 Feng Yun 1C, Shijian 5 TERRIERS, MUBLCOM Nimiq 1 USA-144 Oceansat-1, Kitsat-3, DLR-Tubsat STS-96 (Starshine 1)
June	Globalstar 25, Globalstar 47, Globalstar 49, Globalstar 52 Iridium 14A, Iridium 21A Astra 1H QuikSCAT FUSE
July	Gran' No.45 Molniya 3-50 Globalstar 30, Globalstar 32, Globalstar 35, Globalstar 51 Progress M-42 Okean-O No.1 STS-93 (Chandra) Globalstar 26, Globalstar 28, Globalstar 43, Globalstar 48
August	Telkom 1, Globalstar 24, Globalstar 27, Globalstar 53, Globalstar 54 Kosmos 2365 Kosmos 2366
September	Koreasat 3 Yamal-101, Yamal-102 Foton 12 Globalstar 33, Globalstar 50, Globalstar 55, Globalstar 58 EchoStar V Ikonos 2 Telstar 7 LMI-1 Resurs F-1M
October	USA-145 DirecTV-1R CBERS-1, SACI-1 Globalstar 31, Globalstar 56, Globalstar 57, Globalstar 59 Orion 2 Ekspress A1
November	GE-4 MTSAT-1 Shenzhou 1 Globalstar 29, Globalstar 34, Globalstar 39, Globalstar 61 USA-146
December	Hélios 1B, Clémentine Orbcomm FM30, Orbcomm FM31, Orbcomm FM32, Orbcomm FM33, Orbcomm FM34, Orbcomm FM35, Orbcomm FM36 XMM-Newton † VLS-1 V02 (SACI-2) USA-147 Terra STS-103 Arirang-1, ACRIMSAT, Millennial Galaxy 11 Kosmos 2367 Kosmos 2368
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).