Pre-Flight Performance of SUNSAT, South Africa's First Remote Sensing and Packet Communications Microsatellite

This paper describes the total system configuration, flight model components and pre-flight tests of the SUNSAT microsatellite which is to be launched in 1997. A very modular satellite mechanical structure has been constructed and environmentally tested. The first performance measurements of the payloads (a 15 m resolution imager, VHF, UHF, S and L band communications systems and space science experiments) are reported. The operation of the attitude determination and control system and other bus systems is described, indicating that a very complex microsatellite was developed as the first venture into space by a South African university. The microsatellite was built with a tight budget of less than US $2 million, sponsored largely by local private industry. The major spin-off from the programme is an established electronics systems laboratory where students can gain multidisciplinary engineering experience on a challenging project.