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UA9CIR > SAT 15.12.02 19:59l 80 Lines 2923 Bytes #999 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS-349.08
Read: DB0FHN GUEST
Subj: First satellite for Algeria in Surrey˛s Disaster Monitoring
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Sent: 021215/1344Z 62392@UA9CIR.SVR.RUS.EU [Ekaterinburg] $:ANS-349.08
From: UA9CIR@UA9CIR.SVR.RUS.EU
To : SAT@AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 349.08 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 15, 2002
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-349.08
Thursday 28th November 2002
Surrey, England
~~~~~~~~~~~~
28th November 2002 AlSAT-1, the first of a five-microsatellite
constellation,
has been successfully launched today for SSTL˛s Algerian customer, CNTS.
The launch, into a 700km sun-synchronous orbit onboard a Kosmos 3-M rocket
from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, took place on schedule at
06:07hs GMT today in thick snow and temperatures around -20oC. This is
Algeria˛s
first satellite and marks the country's commitment to participating in space
and international co-operation. AlSAT-1 also initiates the launch of the
first
ever microsatellite constellation dedicated to disaster monitoring.
AlSAT-1 will be joined in orbit by a further four Surrey-built
microsatellites
to be launched in mid-2003. AlSAT-1 encompasses the latest in small
satellite
technology from SSTL, providing extremely wide swath (600km) 32-metre
multispectral imaging and 1 GByte solid state recorders for high capacity
onboard storage of image data and transmission to ground at S-band. With
just a
single satellite in orbit it is possible to image the same area anywhere in
the
world at least every four days. When the complete constellation is
operational
it will provide a daily imaging revisit capability worldwide - a major
factor
for disaster relief agencies. The remaining four microsatellites are also
being
built at SSTL in collaboration with Nigeria, Turkey and the UK.
At the launch site, the CEO of SSTL (Prof Sir Martin Sweeting) and the
Director
of CNTS (Dr Azzedine Oussedik) observed the lift-off and were able to relay
the
countdown ±on-line˛ to SSTL and CNTS staff in Guildford (UK) and Arzew
(Algeria).
Dr Oussedik said: "Algeria is proud to join the community of space faring
nations
and to have this opportunity by working with Surrey and the UK to achieve
our first
satellite in orbit. This project has trained Algerian specialists to bring
the
benefits of space to our nation and its people." Speaking in the sub-zero
arctic
temperature, Sir Martin said: "SSTL is also proud to achieve a successful
launch
for our Algerian customer and at the same time mark the 21st Surrey
satellite in
orbit. The UK, Algerian and Russian teams worked extremely well together to
achieve
today's launch - the first DMC mission in the international constellation".
Some 30 minutes after launch, the AlSAT-1 spacecraft was released into
orbit, and 3
hours later the CNTS command station in Algeria activated the satellite and
started
the process of commissioning it for full operation.
Pictures available at: http://www.sstl.co.uk/primages/AlSAT_integration.jpg
and
http://www.sstl.co.uk/primages/Kosmos_raised.jpg
[ANS Thanks Prof. Sir Martin Sweeting OBE, G3YJO for this information]
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