SumbandilaSat beyond repair

[G4TUT]

SumbandilaSat beyond repair

The defenceWeb site reports that South Africa’s second satellite, SumbandilaSat (SO-67), is no longer fulfilling its main purpose due to technical problems.

Rob Olivier, head of Business Development at SunSpace, told defenceWeb that although contact can still be made with the satellite, it cannot capture images and is thus “not fulfilling its main purpose”.

He said that chances of repairing the satellite are virtually zero and that SunSpace has moved on to other projects.

SumbandilaSat was damaged during a solar storm in the June last year.
The power supply to SumbandilaSat’s onboard computer stopped working and the satellite stopped sending back images.

Read the full story at
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...ogy&Itemid=204

In addition to its primary imaging mission SumbandilaSat (SO-67) carries an amateur radio voice beacon, parrot repeater and VHF/UHF FM repeater.

Southern African Amateur Radio Satellite Association (SA AMSAT)
http://www.amsatsa.org.za/

DefenceWeb
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/







Get Southgate Amateur Radio News by Email

Don't wait all week for the news!
Amateur Radio News - updated daily - 365 days per year

[K6LCS]

SO-67's primary objective was photographic research. That aspect of the project is gone. But ...

"The satellite was also extensively used by amateur radio enthusiasts as it carries a radio transponder and digitalker. Olivier says that radio transmissions still operate, making it useful to radio operators around the world, including in the US, Europe and Australia."

http://tinyurl.com/SO-67-STATUS

-or-

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.ph...ogy&Itemid=204


Clint Bradford K6LCS

[WS4E]

Does the SO-67 FM repeater still work?

[K6LCS]

>> ... Does the SO-67 FM repeater still work?

No - Ham repeater has been down for months ... See their Web site and the article I just cited for more ...

http://www.amsatsa.org.za/