RazakSAT

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RazakSat

1 Background
2 Operations
3 Specifications
4 External links

[edit] Background

RazakSAT is a Malaysian Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite that is currently (as of December 2007) scheduled to be launched on board a Falcon 1 sometime in the third quarter of 2008 from a US military base in Kwajalein Atoll; one of many small islands of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. This satellite is Malaysia's 2nd remote sensing satellite after TiungSAT-1 which was launched in September 26, 2000 on a Russian Dnepr launcher from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Originally called MACSAT, RazakSAT's payload is mainly electro-optical, carrying a Medium-sized Aperture Camera (MAC) which is a pushbroom camera with 5 linear detectors (1 panchromatic, 4 multi-spectral) weighing approximately 50kg. The entire satellite weighs at about 180kg.

The then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad renamed the satellite to RazakSAT in tribute to the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak or known as the "Bapa Pembangunan Malaysia" for his contribution towards Malaysia's development. This was held officially during Mahathir's working visit to Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd. (ATSB) in 2003 at its premise in Technology Park Malaysia (TPM) in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. It has since moved to its new premises at Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam, Selangor. ATSB is a wholly-owned company of the Minister of Finance Inc. (MOF), Malaysia.

[edit] Operations

RazakSAT's mission plan will be carried out by engineers from ATSB. Control operations will be conducted through ATSB's ground station in Shah Alam, Selangor consisting of a Mission Control Station (MCS) and Image Receiving and Processing Station (IRPS). Two other Malaysian ground stations would be able to communicate with the satellite as well; the Remote Sensing Malaysia groundstation in Temerloh, Pahang and the Malaysian National Space Agency groundstation in Banting, Selangor.

The IRPS will receive and archive images for post processing and distribution to the users. The development of the RazakSAT system is a collaborative programme between ATSB and Satrec Initiative Co. Ltd, Republic of Korea.

RazakSAT is unique in its own right as it will be the first microsatellite of its class to be placed at Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO); unlike many other satellites of its kind that are placed on Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). However, the challenge would be launching the satellite in its intended orbit as not many launchers are adaptive for NEqO.

[edit] Specifications

Subsystems	Specifications
Altitude	685 km
Inclination	7° ~ 9 °
Payload (MAC)	GSD : 2.5 m (PAN), 5 m (MS) Swathwidth : 20 km @ 685 km
Attitude Determination & Control Subsystem (ADCS)	Three-axis stabilization based on four (reaction wheels) Pointing Accuracy : < 0.2° (2 s) Pointing Knowledge : 1 arcmin (2 s)
Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS)	GaAs/Ge solar cells on honeycomb substrate NiCd batteries (18 Ahr) Peak Power Tracking (PPT) & constant current control Solar Power : >300 W @ EOL
Command & Data Handling Subsystem (C&DH)	Two on-board computers Telemetry and command interface modules Analog Telemetry channels : up to 90 Digital Telemetry channels : up to 120
Telecommunication Subsystem (TS)	9600 bit/s / 1200 bit/s S-brand TT&C uplink 38.4 kbs / 9600 bit/s / 1200 bit/s S-brand TT&C downlink
Payload Data Management	32 Gbit On-board solid-state memory 30 Mbit/s X-brand payload data downlink
Structure & Thermal	Ø1200 x 1200 mm Hexagonal shape Mass : < 200 kg Modular structure Passive & Active thermal control
Mission Lifetime	> 3 Years