SA's satellite, Sumbandilasat, will only be launched in May, following rescheduling by Russian launch partner Roskosmos.
Despite the prioritisation of the space project by science and technology minister Mosibudi Mangena, it seems the R26 million satellite is fated to continuous delays. The satellite was scheduled to lift off on 25 March, but will now only be launched sometime between 6 and 10 May.
Roskosmos says the delay is due to the “rescheduling of programmed launches” as it had to bring forward a manned mission to the International Space Station.
The 80kg low-orbit satellite - which will be the second satellite launched by government - forms part of the Department of Science and Technology's (DST's) National Space Agency Act, which promotes space research and development - and allows for the creation of a space agency.
Past delays in the launch of the satellite have caused tension between SA and launch partner Russia. In February 2008, the department announced it would begin searching for a new partner - following a two-year delay of the launch of the satellite. India and China were cited as possible partners.
At the time, the project was “postponed indefinitely because of administrative problems on the side of its current launch partner, Roskosmos”. However, SA resumed its partnership with Russia following talks in May - and the DST expressed hope that the talks “will hopefully lead to a launch sooner rather than later”. In January, the DST announced the 25 March launch date.
Still grounded
The development of the R26 million satellite was announced in 2005 by Mangena. In November 2006, the satellite was then delivered to the DST and the launch was scheduled for December of the same year.
The launch was supposed to have taken place from a submarine near the northern Russian naval base of Murmansk.
This launch was then postponed and a new date set for June 2007 - but this date was not met and the launch was delayed again. The DST cited administrative problems for the delay of the launch.
The satellite, which is expected to have a lifespan of between five and seven years, will also facilitate communications for amateur radio and some small scientific experiments.
Sumbandilasat was built by SunSpace and Information Systems. The University of Stellenbosch will be responsible for managing the project, while the Satellite Application Centre will be tasked with operations, telemetry, tracking, control, as well as data capturing.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research will be responsible for mission control. It will receive the image data from satellite and will monitor, control, maintain and program the satellite to perform various functions in orbit.
The DST was not available for comment at the time of publication.
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