Hope for Sumbandilasat launch

Johannesburg, 15 Jul 2009

The Sumbandilasat launch is planned for August, says the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

While not disclosing an exact date, minister Naledi Pandor said Russian space agency and launch partner Roskosmos has indicated the satellite would lift off next month. The DST previously announced the satellite would be launched sometime between July and August.

The department stepped up efforts to secure a launch date for Sumbandilasat, following several delays of the project. In June, it announced the satellite will be shipped to Russia in preparation for its launch.

The DST says the Sumbandilasat was exported to Russia on 4 June and arrived in Moscow on 10 June. It was shipped to Baikanour on 17 June for integration onto the Soyuz launch vehicle, as scheduled.

Pandor also reiterated government's dedication to developing satellite technology.

“The development of Sumbandilasat offers our country and region a number of advantages, including scientific and economic growth, and information to use for sustainable development, security and planning.”

The initiative forms part of the DST's three-year, R26 million integrated capacity-building and satellite development project. Scheduled to run from 2005 until 2008, the project involved the procurement of a mission-ready satellite, research and capacity-building.

The 81kg low-earth orbiting micro satellitewill generate imagery through its remote sensing camera and will form an important part of the country's earth observation activities. Once in orbit, Sumbandilasatwill pass over SA at an average orbit altitude of 500km.

The images yielded by the satellite will be used for flood and fire disaster management, enhancing food security through crop yield estimation, the prediction of the outbreaks of diseases, monitoring of land cover and use, and water resource management.