Sumbandila (ZA-002)
Official name SUMBANDILA
Alternative name SumbandilaSat
Cospar ID 2009-049F
Norad ID 35870
Launch date 2009-09-17
Launch site TTMTR
Launch vehicle Soyuz-2-1b Fregat
Country/Organization South Africa
Type application Experimental
Operator University of Stellenbosch, SunSpace
RCS size MEDIUM
Decay date 2021-12-10
Shape Box
Mass (kg) 81
Height (m) 0.8
Width (m) 0.5
Depth (m) 0.8
Span (m^2) 0.8
Lifetime 3 years
Contractors SunSpace
Equipment GSD imager, VLF payload, amateur radio payload, AIS-receiver, vibrating string experiment
Propulsion ?
Configuration ?
Power Solar cells, batteries

The South African small satellite ZA-002 or Sumbandila is a low-earth-observation (LEO) satellite that can take high-resolution pictures of any area in South Africa and which enables South Africa to collaborate with other countries.

The programme, which will receive government funding of 26m, will be carried out in conjunction with the University of Stellenbosch and Sun Space & Information Systems (Pty Ltd.)

Sumbandila will carry an GSD imager with a ground resolution of 6.25m. Live downlinking of PAL video images during TT&C ground station passes will also be possible. Additional experiments are VLF measurements, an amateur radio payload, an AIS experimental payload and a vibrating string experiment.

Sumbandila was planned to be launched together with Kompass 2N on a submarine-launched Shtil-2.1 rocket, but after unresolved quarrels over a Russian tracking sation on South African territory, russia refused to launch the satellite. A Piggyback launch on a Soyuz-2-1b Fregat has been selected as an alternative.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
SUMBANDILA 2009-049F 2009-09-17 TTMTR Soyuz-2-1b Fregat with Meteor-M 1, Sterkh 2, Universitetsky 2, UGATUSAT, BLITS, IRIS