Viva! juig Eikestad en SumbandilaSat is eindelik op pad

Stellenbosch - “Viva! SumbandilaSat, viva!” is gisteraand in dié dorp geskree terwyl Suid-Afrika se satelliet met ’n knal van vonkelwynproppe en handegeklap die ruimte ingestuur is.Betrokkenes en belangstellendes het hardop die laaste 10 sekondes voor lansering saam afgetel.

Hulle het saamgedrom in die Reitz-saal by die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) se fakulteit ingenieurswese. Die satelliet is presies om 18:55:07 by Baikonoer in Kazachstan met die Sojoes II-vuurpyl gelanseer. Lees meer...

2009-09-11

SA satellite countdown begins

Cape Town - Only four days are left before South Africa's SumbandilaSat launches into space atop a Russian Soyuz rocket at Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

The 81kg microsatellite, which is about 1m x 0.5m in size, will lift off into space on Tuesday from the Baikonur space base where it is being integrated into the Soyuz rocket

2009-09-04

SumbandilaSat to be launched on September 15

In less than two weeks, South Africa's R26-million SumbandilaSat will be launched into space, as the secondary payload on a Russian Soyuz rocket in Kazakhstan.

The much-awaited launch is scheduled to take place on September 15, and will be witnessed by Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor, who will travel to Kazakhstan, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) confirmed this week.

2009-09

Sumbandila goes for enviro testing

The satellite being build by SunSpace in co-operation with the University of Stellenbosch is now at the Institute for Software and Space Applications (ISSA) for its final environmental testing.

2009-07-20

South African satellite launch likely to be held back yet another month

It looks as if the launch of South Africa's R26-million Sumbandila microsatellite (SumbandilaSat) will now take place on or around September 14 or September 15, and not on or around August 20, as previously hoped. The new likely launch dates have not, it seems, been officially communicated to the South African Department of Science and Technology yet.

2009-07-14

SA govt expects Sumbandila satellite launch in weeks

Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor has confirmed that the South African government expects the country's Sumbandila microsatellite (SumbandilaSat) to be launched next month.

2009-06-15

SA satellite due at Russian launch complex soon

South Africa's R26-million Sumbandila microsatellite is due to arrive at Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome on Wednesday, June 17.

The microsatellite is already safely in Russia, but has still to be transported to the world-renowned Cosmodrome, birthplace of the space age, which is actually located in Kazakhstan (the launch complex is leased and operated by Russia).

2009-06-05

SA satellite launch delayed again

The launch of South Africa's R26-million Sumbandila microsatellite will now likely take place in late August, most probably on or around August 20. SumbandilaSat will be launched as a secondary payload on a Russian Soyuz launch vehicle, and this latest delay is reportedly because the primary payload for the launch, a Russian Meteor M weather satellite, will not be ready until then.

SumbandilaSat has been designed and built by specialist South African micro- satellite company SunSpace & Information Systems, which is based in Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape.

2009-05-27

Sumbandila still grounded

Johannesburg, 27 May 2009 ] - The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will continue to wait for a launch date for its Sumbandila satellite from its Russian partner, despite it being subject to another delay.

This is the second time this year the launch of the indigenous satellite has been delayed. Russian space agency Roskosmos failed to launch it in March and now again in May. Despite being put out by several administrative changes, the DST is yet to take a decision on the fate of its partnership with the Russian space agency.

2009-01-23

Sumbandila satellite to be launched in March

The much-anticipated SumbandilaSat science satellite is set to be launched on 25 March the department of science and technolog, has said.

The Sumbandila, a low-orbit satellite which will collect data to be used to monitor and manage disasters such as floods, oil spills and fires within Southern Africa, will be launched into space from a sub-marine in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the government information services reports.