Back SUNSAT Afrikaans SUNSAT German Sunsat Spanish Sunsat Galician SUNSAT Italian SUNSAT Japanese SUNSAT LTG SUNSAT Dutch SUNSAT Russian
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]
- ^ "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