The Stellenbosch UNiversity SATellite or SUNSAT (COSPAR 1999-008C) was the first

miniaturized satellite A small satellite, miniaturized satellite, or smallsat is a satellite of low mass and size, usually under . While all such satellites can be referred to as "small", different classifications are used to categorize them based on mass. Satellites c ...

designed and manufactured in South Africa. It was launched aboard a

Delta II Delta II was an expendable launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas, and sometimes known as the Thorad Delta 1. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family, derived directly from the Delta 3000, and entered service in ...

rocket from the

Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to: * Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name * USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in Key West, Florida * Vandenberg S ...

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 Stellenbosch University (SU) (, ) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Sahara ...

. Its

AMSAT AMSAT is a name for various amateur radio satellite organizations worldwide. In particular, it often refers to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, headquartered in Washington, D.C. AMSAT organizations design, build, arrange launches for, a ...

designation was SO-35 (Sunsat Oscar 35). 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. It is predicted to reenter the atmosphere after about 30 years from launch.

Specifications

SUNSAT satellite specifications: * Size: 45 x 45 x 60 cm * Mass: 64 kg * Launcher: Delta II rocket, Mission P-91 * 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 Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...

communications ** Data interchange ** Stereo

multispectral image Multispectral imaging captures image data within specific wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated by filters or detected with the use of instruments that are sensitive to particular wavelengths, ...

r *

Attitude control Spacecraft attitude control is the process of controlling the orientation of a spacecraft (vehicle or satellite) with respect to an inertial frame of reference or another entity such as the celestial sphere, certain fields, and nearby objects, ...

: Gravity gradient and

magnetorquer A magnetorquer or magnetic torquer (also known as a torque rod) is a satellite system for Spacecraft attitude control, attitude control, detumbling, and stabilization built from electromagnetic coils. The magnetorquer creates a magnetic dipole that ...

reaction wheels A reaction wheel (RW) is an electric motor attached to a flywheel, which, when its rotation speed is changed, causes a counter-rotation proportionately through conservation of angular momentum. A reaction wheel can rotate only around its center ...

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 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

supplied capacitive sensors. * SSC 25636

Pushboom imager

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

References

Stellenbosch University Amateur radio satellites Spacecraft launched in 1999 Spacecraft launched by Delta II rockets First artificial satellites of a country Space program of South Africa {{SouthAfrica-stub